Miracles Out of Nowhere
by Beingextremelycleveruphere
Summary: The Doctor meets a familiar face. A very familiar face. But why is she wants to leave? And why is she back?- Leading to rewrite of Series 6 onwards with Susan Foreman 2nd Face.
1. Chapter 1

**A new fan fiction. I hope you like. Title is from the song by Kansas which fit appropriately. **

**This fic is dedicated to all my Tumblr followers.**

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 1**

Amelia blinked rapidly as she awoke; her neck and back stiff as a bright light shone in her eyes. She shied away, groaning, and tried to move more, only to find she was strapped down. On a table, tilted upright; it was cold, damp and felt quite organic, many tubes and cables hung around her. Amy looks around, at the ship, dazed as many snapshots of her surroundings came to her as she fought off what had to be a drug.

"Where am I? Where is this?" She asked, looking around the dark surroundings, trying to make out various shapes of what looked like a console. There were figures next to it, tall men.

Amy made a fist with her hands and tried to tug on the restraints on her arm, the lump in her throat as evidence she was scared. One of the aliens turned towards her and Amy gasps, pressing back into the seat. It was dressed in a suit and tie, with a large white, bulbous head, sunken eyes, no nose nor an evident mouth, just lines to where a mouth would have been. Amy looked away, frightened and settled on another sight, on the other side of the makeshift console.

"Who's she?" Amy asked, nodding towards a girl, who looked unconscious and was strapped to a similar apparatus to her. She looked young, a teenager. A heart shaped face, pale skin and brown hair in an untidy side plait. But her eyes were closed and some of her skin held red blotches. Why take her? Amy had never seen her. It was obvious she had been taken to lure the Doctor, something very, very stupid to do. Amy returned her gaze to the Silent, unblinking.

_"You are Amelia Pond." _It spoke in a raspy voice. Amy glared at the alien. That hadn't answered any of her questions.

"You're ugly, has anyone mentioned that to you?" She retorted, weak due to lack of energy as she strengthened her resolve.

"_We do you honour. You will bring the Silence. But your part will soon be over." _That was cryptic, Amy thought but let out a slight note of disgust as the alien walked closer, bending over like a predator assessing its prey. Amy leant back and away, becoming more and more determined.

"Whatever that means, you've made a big mistake bringing me here, because wait till you see what's coming for you now." She shot back.

_"You have been here many days."_

"No. I just got here. You just put me in here." Amy frowned, it was impossible. Did this wacko have a different sense of time? Like a fruit fly? It looked a bit like a fly. That or the Scream.

_"Your memory is weak. You have been here many days." _The Silent echoed. Amy shook her head. It was impossible, she can't have been and she told him that. The Silent edged towards her, leaning over as Amy fought more against the restraints._ "You will sleep now. Sleep."_ The crackling hiss, like a bug echoes as it takes and Amy is suddenly full of dread, her head becoming lighter headed. She yells out in fear.

"No! No! Get off me!" She yells closing her eyes and pulling in determination.

_"Sleep."_ The noise intensifies. Doctor, where are you? Amy thought as her stomach churned, her whole body screamed to get out, get away. "No! No!" Then she hears a sound that makes her heart leap as the echoing groan of the TARDIS materializing and the blue box stands metres away. She lets out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding as the Silence all turn towards the box as the door opens and out steps the Doctor, River and Rory. The Doctor looks confident, holding a television set, River has her gun out and Rory looks fervently around, his gaze catching Amy's.

"Oh! Interesting. Very Aickman Road, seen one of these before. Abandoned, wonder how that happened. Oh, well! I suppose I'm about to find out. Rory, River, keep one Silent in eyesight at all times. Oh, hello, sorry. You're in the middle of something. Just had to say though, have you seen what's on the telly? Hello, Amy, you all right? Want to watch some television?"

He starts rambling, pleasantly though Amy can see the plan behind his eyes. He sets down the TV on the console. The Silence move towards him but he rounds on them. "Ah, now, stay where you are. Because look at me, I'm confident. You want to watch that, me, when I'm confident. Oh, and this is my friend, River."

He points back to her. "Nice hair, clever, has own gun, and unlike me, she really doesn't mind shooting people." He said with a crook of his head before shooting River a look. "I shouldn't like that. Kind of do." River shoots him a flirty smile, her gun trained on one of the Silents.

"Thank you, sweetie."

"I know you're team players and everything, but she'll definitely kill at least the first three of you." He continues, River moving to stand so that they are back to back.

"The first seven, easily." She counters with an ease.  
"Seven, really?" They continue to flirt, River leaning into the Doctor as he smiles before Amy gets fed up.

"Is this really important, flirting? I feel like I should be higher on the list right now." Amy interrupts, perturbed as she views the spectacle, then her head nods towards the unconscious girl. "Doctor, there's a girl over there, she's unconscious." The Doctors eyes flicker over to the girl before he claps his hands together before pointing at River, once again speaking to the room at large.

"Yes, right, sorry. As I was saying, my naughty friend here is going kill the first three of you to attack, plus him behind. So maybe you want to draw lots, or have a quiz." Meanwhile, Rory is tugging at Amy's bonds, trying to free her; she leans over and whispers to him.

"What's he got?" She asks. Rory glances up at her.

"Something, I hope."

"Or maybe you could just listen a minute, because all I really want to do is accept your total surrender, and then I'll let you go in peace. You've been interfering in human history for thousands of years. People have suffered and died. But what's the point in two hearts, if you can't be a bit forgiving now and then." The Doctor continues, walking around the console before settling in front of the leader, staring him down. They don't respond.

"Ooh! The Silence. You guys take that seriously, don't you?" He goads, staring the leader down. Then he turns. "OK, you got me, I'm lying. I'm not really going to let you go that easily. Nice thought, but it's not Christmas. First!" He cried, turning on the television set. You tell me about the girl in the spacesuit. Who is she? Why is she important? What's she for?" He demands, the television behind him speaking and showing the moon landing.

The Silence leader rattles but the Doctor just narrows his eyes. "Guys, sorry. But you're way out of time. Now, come on, a bit of history for you. Aren't you proud, because you helped?" He claps and pulls out the antennae. "Do you know how many people are watching this live on the telly? Half a billion, and that's nothing, because the human race will spread out among the stars, you just watch them fly. Billions and billions of them, for billions and billions of years. And every single one of them, at some point in their lives, will look back at this man, taking that very first step, and they will never, ever forget it."

He taps the television with each word of that very last bit of that very last sentence, his tone becoming more and more threatening. Rory and Amy watch on as the moon landing unfolds. But then the Doctor continues, taking out a phone.  
"Oh. But they'll forget this bit." He dials and speaks into the phone. "Ready?" The conversation lasted 30 seconds before the beep of a machine whirring to life could be heard.

_It's one small step for man..._

The broadcast is interrupted with the video of a Silent, giving an order straight to the human race on a loop and repeating.

"You've given the order for your own execution, and the whole planet just heard you." The Doctor says triumphantly.

_One giant leap for mankind._

"And one whacking great kick up the backside for the Silence!" He roars, taunting the alien race. "You just raised an army against yourself. And now, for a thousand generations, you're going to be ordering them to destroy you every day. How fast can you run? Because today's the day the human race throws you off their won't even know they're doing it. I think, quite possibly the word you're looking for right now is, "Oops!"Run!" He looks around, panicking as the Silence grow angrier and gesture to the rest of them. "Guys, I mean us! _Run!"_

The Silence let out horse roars as their mouths open like wormholes and they splay large fingers out, aiming and drawing on electric energy. River takes this as a cue and begins to fire, the Doctor whizzing around, his sonic letting out a continuous buzz as the console behind them sparks.

"I can't get her out!" Rory yelled, furiously tugging on Amy's straps.

"Go, just go! Get the girl and run!" Amy shouts at him. He grits his teeth.

"We are not leaving without you!"

"Will you just get your stupid face out of here?!" She cries. Rory stops and looks up from the straps, staring at Amy. River notices and yells at them all.

"Right, into the TARDIS, quickly!" The Doctor runs over to Amy, buzzing the straps on her wrists which come undone and Rory helps Amy into the TARDIS as the Doctor charges to the other side, narrowly missing a well-aimed beam of energy from a nearby silent. Ducking and placing his arms over his head, he reaches the girl and buzzes her free as well, grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her out and off of the table.

Supporting her, he helps cover River and the rest, the green light on his sonic flashing. "Don't let them build to full power!" He yells at River. She continues blasting a nearby Silent.

"I know. There's a reason why I'm shooting, honey! What are you doing?" She roars back at him, partially exasperated.

"Helping."

"You've got a screwdriver. Go build a cabinet!" She says; now back to back with the Doctor. He lets out a frustrated yell waving his sonic and holding the girl simultaneously.

"That's really rude!"

"Shut up and drive!" The Doctor ducks again, using his other arm to rewrap around the girl's waist as he pulls her into the TARDIS. Rory is immediately by his side and places one of the girl's arms around his neck, the Doctor doing the same as they heave her up the small set of steps and place her onto the chair, still unawake. Rory goes out to help and moments later, Rory and River come in.

River hops up to the console, pushing the Doctor out of the way. He huffs, annoyed as she begins to press controls.

"You can let me fly it!"

River, Amy and the Doctor enter the TARDIS, smiling after saying goodbye to President Nixon and Canton. Rory is over by the girl who stirs slightly as his nurse head kicks in. He dabs a rag across her face.  
"So, who's she?" He asks the Doctor as the Doctor hops up the stairs, walking around the console to the chair she's laid on.

"No idea." He stated, with raised eyebrows.

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**There we have it! Chapter 1. Sorry it's a slow start but more is on the way and I have most of C2 done already.**

**Please feel free to review; it is a click away and means a lot! Or message me on my tumblr: bethedrunkgiraffe.**

**H x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ah, here we are again. Merely 24 hours after Chapter 1, Chapter 2 arrives. Thank you to everyone who Favorited/followed this story. I hope this means I am on the right track.**

**H x**

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter**

The Doctor hitches up his jeans slightly as he bends down, peering at her face. It could be anyone, he didn't know the face. But then why take her? Why take her? There was nothing special about her. She was pretty, fair with pale skin and a heart shaped face. She wore jeans, a sheer blouse that was a pale grey with a pendant yet worn jacket of a red, hardy material; not leather but…similar, with gold thread inlaid and a wide collar. She was small, thing and had chestnut locks framing her face. She looked about 17.

"What do you mean? I thought they'd took her for like bait or somethin'?" Amy asked, standing next to Rory. She looked down at the girl curiously.

"For me? Nah. Can't have been…I've never seen her before." He answers, even more confused. Bait? Why did he need bait? He moves back slightly as the girl lets out a groan, her eyelids fluttering to reveal gunmetal blue orbs framed by thick lashes. She stretches slightly before her memory kicks in and her eyes widen, scared and frightened, looking around the room.

"Where am I? What is this?" Amy and Rory move back as the Doctor moves forwards, going to comfort her.

"Hey. Hey. It's alright. You're safe now. You're in the TARDIS." He explains kindly but the girl only stares back at him, looking shocked.

"The….TARDIS." She repeats slowly, she can't believe it. She can't be in the TARDIS. She can't. The Doctor frowns; that hadn't been a question. It was a statement.

"You've heard of it then?" He asked, probing. Perhaps she had, all the legends of the blue box, it was quite possible. And yet there was something, a familiarity in the way she spoke the word. The girl surprised him by nodding, and started to get up.

"Yes. I-I've got to go." She let out nervously, trying to push herself up but she winced, Rory instantly moving closer.

"You need to stay still." He advised. But the Doctor was preoccupied.

"What? Why?" He asked. What was wrong with the TARDIS? It was brilliant. And why was this girl so nervous.

"I can't be here." She answered him, her head craning stiffly towards the corridor entrances, as though expecting someone. He flicked his gaze to where she was looking before back to her.

"But why?" He pressed.

"Listen. Drop me off. He can't know I'm here...I can't see him again." The girl tried to get up, the group having away as she did, using the railings to support her.

"Who?" Amy asked, interrupting the torrent of questions that was about to burst from the Doctor's lips. Amy narrowed her eyes, not trusting the girl and it was returned with a look as if the girl thought Amy mad.

"The Doctor." She stated. The Doctor raised his eyebrows. He didn't know her. He didn't think he knew her. He stepped forwards, dainty as the curious girl walked around to access the stairs.

"Do I- Does he know you?" He caught himself, attempting to cover it up with a wave of his elaborate hands. She didn't answer.

Whilst this had been happening, River had been plotting the coordinates for her cell, half listening. The TARDIS screen gave a beep and she checked it.

"Well?" The Doctor pressed, but the girl didn't want to answer.

"Doctor." River spoke, with a fierce tone as she looked at the screen. The Doctor turned at his name, not seeing the girl's eyes widen at the realization. How could she have been so stupid?

The Doctor walked over to River's side, puffing slightly. He didn't need distractions. He needed answers. Who was she? What did the Silence want her for? Where did she come from?

He reached the screen and rolled his eyes before looking at it and gasped. Not possible. He glanced at the girl who was now stood rigid in front of the stairs, her hand clutching the barrier, before returning his gaze to the screen.

_**TARDIS OCCUPANT**_  
_**NAME: *RETRIEVING***_  
_**GENDER: FEMALE**_  
_**SPECIES: TIME LORD**_

Was displayed above an x ray of a small chest with two pulsing, red, beating hearts. Plural. He stared. It's a mistake. Had to be. All the Timelords were dead, gone, burnt away with his planet.

"You're him." The girl stated in a hollow voice, staring at the Doctor, oblivious to the screen. The Doctor turned to face her and walked steadily over, trying not to betray his emotions.

"You're a Timelord." He said in a low voice. Amy and Rory looked at the girl in shock. The Doctor had told them he was the last of the Timelords. River went back to the screen, eager to recheck. It could be a malfunction.

"Drop me off." She replied stiffly, staring back at him cool but this only served in riling him.

"How are you a Timelord?" He demanded, fixing her with a glare.

"Drop me off." She said, unwavering. This made the Doctor frown, his confusion bleeding into frustration as the Ponds and River watched on. He had spent life times on his own. If she was a Timelord, then he wasn't alone. He would have someone. Someone like him. He reached out to her but she took a step back, a hand flying to the guard rails. Rory moved to help, but Amy held him back shaking her head a tiny amount. River's eyes darted from the scanner to the girl.

Why would she not tell him her name? Why would she not cooperate? They were the same- the last of their kind and she knew him- and all she wanted to do was leave. Why? The questions raged through the Doctor's mind before he sighed, rubbing the flat of his palm over his face, tired.

"Please…tell me." He said voice now quiet and pleading as his mask slipped, revealing the _need _to know who this girl was. She took a step forward, cautious and gave a small smile; a knowing one as if greeting someone she knew a long, long time ago and hand loved very dearly.

"Susan." She whispered to him. He looked up in shock.

Susan.

Oh Gallifrey, _Susan. _

At the name, the Doctor paled. Amy and Rory looked at each other, confused as the Doctor froze. River moved forwards, reaching for her love who was staring at Susan, also paralyzed looking back at the Doctor with an almost dread. Why didn't he recognize her, he should've recognised his own grandchild, even after regeneration? Time Lords and Ladies have an innate ability to recognize each other even after changing to a new body. He should have recognized her soul, even if he were not able to know her new face. He wanted to reach out, to wrap his arms around her but he did not.

"I have to go." She whispered, moving past the Doctor, past them all and away. He tried to touch her, to reach out for her, sorrow on his features but she powered on and up the stairs, entering the endless maze of TARDIS corridors.

The Doctor's hearts swelled and he shut his eyes, turning from where she had vanished and faced the console, placing his hands on it to support himself. He shook his head, eyes still shut.

"…Susan…" He murmured. He cursed himself, wondering why he hadn't figured it out sooner. Despite the mixture of joy and relief of meeting his granddaughter for another time, he didn't know what to do. He composed himself once again, shutting off his feelings, the mask up once more. The TARDIS console room was silent for a few, wavering minutes before the Doctor sprang back into life, plastering on a smile. Setting the TARDIS to Stormcage, he ran around the console.

"Right, off to Stormcage." He said, pointedly to River, who merely nodded, unsure how to comfort him at this moment. He flipped a lever and stopped in front of Amy and Rory. He gave them a small and silent nod, as if to say 'I'm alright.' Even though he wasn't.

In the corridor, Susan stood frozen. So he knew .Fighting back tears, she walked to the wardrobe, the hums of the TARDIS guiding her way as they landed.

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**Yeah...I bet you guys thought it'd be happy, right? Sorry about that.**

**For all those wanting to know (all 0 of you) This is set after an Earthly Child which is a Big Finish Audio Drama. It's alright if you don't know what happens, this will be filled in with later chapters.**

**I would LOVE to know what you guys all think so please leave me a message or review in the dooblydoo below!**

**Heather x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Already over 10 followers! Thanks everyone so much so I'm writing chapters super fast!**

**H x**

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 3**

The TARDIS landed with a thump and the Doctor dropped River off, and after a few minutes came back in, smiling. She had said no spoilers on Susan but…well, the kiss had been good.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Amy left Rory's arms, walking up to the Doctor who paused at the console, pressing a button. Amy placed a hand on his; the Doctor's face a mix of emotions.

"Doctor…who is she?" Amy asked. "Do you know her?" She bit her lip, wondering if he'd brush her off. He turned to her at the sound of his name, looking lost, far away. Finally, he nodded a few times.

"Susan is my granddaughter." He admitted, gaze turning to the doorway Susan had left by before looking at the Ponds who stared back at him with a mix of horror and, shock, confusion. He had reproduced? The Doctor? I mean, they had realized he had had a life before travelling but never quite a family. There had been hints but he did not talk about it. Rory did a double take and walked up to stand by his wife.

"You…have a granddaughter?"

"Yes. You just met her." He sighed, exasperated. Amy gave a timid smile, squeezing his hand. The Doctor let go, moving to the other side of the console.

"I thought your people were, I dunno, gone." Amy said, trying to understand.

"Yes, well, now they are not all gone and she's through there!" He cried, throwing an arm up to point at the corridor.

"What happened between you two?" Amy asked, more sternly, not liking how the Doctor was acting. He waited a few minutes, before snapping his fingers and pointing at Rory, moving around the console and patting him on the back.

"Rory, I'm going to need thermo couplings. The green ones and the blue ones." He said quick fire and changing the subject before turning to face Amy fully. She stood up straighter as Rory accepted the order and headed off.

"So." He began, looking her straight in the eyes and crossing his arms. Amy leant against the console.

"So? What, do you want to talk about Susan?" She asked, hoping he would. She hated for him to keep it all inside. But he waved her off before looking at her steadily.****

"You're OK?"

"Fine. Head's a bit weird. There's lots of stuff I can't quite remember." She frowns, looking far off, trying to remember something. She blinked and shook her head. The Doctor watches slightly concerned but brushes it off, filing it for later.

"After effect of the Silence. Natural enough. That's not what I was asking. You told me you were pregnant."

"Yes." She said, looking down, trailing off. She didn't want to talk about but the Doctor followed in quick succession with his own answer.

"Why?"

"Because I was. I thought I was. Turns out I wasn't." Amy said, brushing it off.

"No. Why did you tell me?" He replied looking down at his crossed arms before back up at her.

"You're my friend. You're my best friend." Amy smiled at the Doctor. He nodded his chin furrowing as he accepted the compliment. He liked that. Being a best friend. He rocked away from her but then another question popped into his head.

"Did you tell Rory?" He asked, concerned. Amy's smile slipped and fell away as she looked at the console, anywhere but at the Doctor, unknowing that Rory was currently listening in by a nanorecorder.

"No." She said, biting her lips slightly. The Doctor frowned.

"Amy, why tell me and not Rory?"

"Why do you think? I travelled with you in this TARDIS for so long. All that time. If I was pregnant for some of it, wouldn't it have had an effect?" Amelia voiced, worried. If she was to have a child…surely something may have gone wrong? "I don't want to tell Rory, this baby might have three heads, or like a time head or something."

"What's a time head?" The Doctor asked, a smile forcing his way onto his face. Amy nudged her shoulder with his.

"I don't know, but what if it had one?" She said, now matching his grin.

"A time head?" He made sure, nodding and his face lighting up.

"Shut up, all right!" She chided, hitting him playfully. They both laughed.

They laugh.

"Oi! Stupid face." Amy called to a large corridor, just in eyesight of the console. The Doctor smiled, glad Amy got the tip of him pointing to his own palm.

"Er, yeah. Hello." Rory appears from another corridor and waves sheepishly at them, looking awkward, the nanorecorder clasped in his hand. Amy frowned, walking over to him.

"Taking that away from you, if you're going to listen in all the time." She told him firmly, taking it away.

"OK, that's a fair point. But you should've told me that you thought you were pregnant." Rory explained, holding his arms out "I'm a nurse, I'm good with pregnancy."

"Not, as it turns out, that good. So can you stop being stupid?" Amy said, moving forward and hugging Rory.

"Er, no. Never. I'm never, ever going to stop being stupid!" He said, lifting her up, causing a yelp of glee as Amy's feet left the floor.

The Doctor, clapped his hand and moved to the console scanner, pulled it around, setting something up as he smiles at the Ponds, glad to see them happy. "So. This little girl, it's all about her. Who was she? Or we could just go off and have some adventures. Anyone in the mood for adventures? 'Cause I am. You only live once." He grins, eager to be on the road, but the smile slips slightly, revealing a worried look as he looks at the TARDIS performing a full body scan on Amy, the pregnancy results switching fervently. He looks on confused, his face falling slightly at the results, before hearing footsteps and he turns to look up at the stairs.

Susan walked out of the hallway, buttoning a tan coloured coat with a pleated shape as she went. He knew, so he wouldn't want her there. Her throat contracted as she looked at him, before looking back down at her feet, crossing past them all and to the door.

"Susan?" He asked, unsure how to react. He stepped forwards, confused as to why she was leaving.

"Grandfather." She said, turning and looking at him.

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**Ok, so I would LOVE if you guys reviewed! It's my first time writing a story like this and you guys seem to like it but I'd love if you told me what you think!**

**So, review in the dooblydoo!**

**H x**


	4. Chapter 4

**I got 2 reviews! Thank you so so much!**

**Now, chapters will not be as quick from now one due to having to work through episodes but hopefully they won't be sparse either! Thanks so much for reading.**

**Stream Harmony: Thank you! I am glad you liked the idea and my writing! I hope to live up to your expectations.**

**Madness of Silence: Ah, well, you my friend have picked up on what we call a plot point. Won't mean much now but later...who knows? There will NOT be a past Doctor in this I am afraid though. I feel that the jumping through time thing has been done by a lot of people with OCs and wouldn't work with Susan.**

**H x**

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 4**

He didn't know how to proceed. He never thought he'd see her again and as he looked into those now blue eyes, he felt stupid. He never should've left her that day. He was foolish. And he needed to make her see that. He wanted her to stay.

Susan was scarred. The last she had seen of her Grandfather was when he left her, not a word that time just the groan of a TARDIS in flight. That day, something had happened, something broke and she not forgive him. She looked squarely into his eyes, trying not to betray the swarm of emotion in her stomach.

"Susan…please, stay." He said, lamely. Amy and Rory walked up to their bedrooms, feeling they would intrude otherwise, Amy giving Rory a little push out the way because he wanted to stay. Susan sighed, bringing her eyes to his.

"You want me to stay now?" The words were double edged; one side tinged with the sorrow and nostalgia, the other side bit with anger, frustration and betrayal. He opened his hands, before bringing them back, fingertips touching as he mouthed, no words escaping.

"I…yes." He admitted. She shook her head and he reacted. "No, please, Susan. One trip. One trip, all I am asking. I know you must hate me but please. We are the only ones left."

Susan frowned, her mind spinning. One trip couldn't hurt? After all, she could go back whenever she wanted and as much as she would hate to admit it, she had missed him. Of course she had.

"Only ones? I'm sure you could find another Timelord. How's your friend, the Monk?" She bit out. The Doctor's hearts sank. Oh no. She didn't know about the Time War. How was he to tell her? If he told her, she would hate him more, walk out of his life forever and he couldn't have that. He gulped, and looked at the console.

"It's always been us though, hasn't it?" He said quietly, and Susan's face softened against her will. They had seen much. Back when he had his first face, leaving Gallifrey, seeing the universe. Oh, they had been to so many places; Earth, Akhaten and so much more.

"Yes." She took a step forward, up the steps and leant against the console, marvelling at the changes to the old girl. "It had been." She finished, sterner. The Doctor worked his jaw, trying to keep emotions at bay.

Suddenly, a loud sound blared from the console, a low, pealing alarm. The Doctor tore his gaze from Susan and jogged back, dancing around the whimsical console and setting, checking controls. Susan did the same, from the other side, working in until they were side to side. She glanced at him, and he at her but neither said anything about it. The Doctor pulled over the screen as Susan promptly walked away, not wanting to be near him. He pretended not to notice, changing the screen to show incoming signals.

Amy and Rory ran into the control room, thinking that one of them had gotten hurt or something bad had happened.

"Doctor? What is it?" Amy said, concerned. The Doctor grinned brightly.

"Distress call from a ship, can't ignore it, go and change." He said, promptly setting the TARDIS to fly to the relevant timespace dates. The TARDIS gave a small judder. "You as well…Susan." He said, more of an afterthought.

She nodded. It seems she would be coming with them but she said nothing, neither acknowledging her agreement for one last trip. Amy and Rory looked at her warily; Rory with some concern and wellbeing, Amy with distrust. She ignored them both as the three went to get changed.

Susan followed the two to the wardrobe, and grabbed a pair of jeans and a white blouse that was sheer and new. She changed, flipping her collar down, she donned the tan coat once more, rather liking it. She walked from the dressing rooms to see the ginger haired woman in front of her, out of the formal black suit and in a checked shirt, and rather short skirt and bright pink tights with boots. She was frowning at Susan.

Susan looked back,

"So, you're Amelia, correct?" Susan broached, feeling like an intruder.

"Amy. Just Amy." Amy corrected, Susan gave a hesitant smile.

"I prefer Amelia, sounds like it's from a storybook." She said, hoping the comment would alleviate some of the awkwardness.

"As I said…Amy." Amy replied. She didn't trust the girl, no matter if she was his granddaughter, how did they even know she was? So she was a Timelord, big deal. They knew nothing about her. Even the Doctor didn't recognise her. And why was she so cold towards him? Why did she leave in the first place? So many questions. Susan looked away. She had a feeling this girl would want the whole story. A story she didn't feel like giving.

"Amy?" Rory came around the corner, inadvertently saving Susan from more questions. Amy turned round to her husband and smiled as he walked over. "We should probably get back. The Doctor will be waiting, and so will that ship."

Amy nodded, and linked arms with Rory and they began to walk back to the console room. Rory looked back.

"Coming Susan?" He said, with a kind smile.

"Oh, yes." She nodded, and followed. They all hurried back to see the Doctor parking squarely where ever they were. He looked up and smiled, throwing a lever and the TARDIS hummed.

"Right, parked her. Now, let's go see where we are!" He said, excited. Susan frowned as he bounded to the door, Amy and Rory jogging behind him.

"Hang on!" She said, stumbling a bit when they all turned at the same time to face her, puzzled. "Background…checks. You forgot the background checks."

"He doesn't do background checks." Amy cut in as the Doctor was about to reply, one hand raised which he then dropped.

"Well, we actually probably should. Don't know what could be out there. All the danger and so forth." He jumped back up to the console, pulling around the screen and checking dials. "Susan…ah, over there." She walked to where he pointed, to look at the dials. "Now what does the radiation read, Susan?"

A faint smile came to her face as she remembered the night, hundreds of years ago, in the Stone Age. She read it and gave a nod. "It's reading normal…Doctor." He nodded, not commenting on her lack of 'Grandfather'.

"Well then, Susan, Ponds… we go outside and explore!" He said and they all walked out, Susan shutting the door behind her.

"Ah." The Doctor said, slightly frowning. "Not exactly Hitchhiker's Guide." He put his hands on his hips, looking around the bare wooden room.

"Are we rocking?" Rory pointed out. The Doctor jumped, and wobbled on landing.

"You know, Rory, I rather think we are." He said, jolly; always glad to be in a new place.

"So, let's go and see." Amy said, impatient, looking up and pointing at a hatch. Susan made her way over so they stood in a row, the Doctor in the middle, as he rapped tentatively on the wood. Susan stifled a giggle as Amy rolled her eyes before thumping multiple times on the hatch.

It takes a few moments before the door hatch bursts open. The Doctor grins, holding out hands at the two men above them. Susan paled slightly at the pirates. It couldn't just be a broken engine, no, it was pirates. Hang on…pirates? How could they have sent a distress signal.

"Yo ho ho!" He smiles and they stare back. His smile drops. "Or does nobody actually say that?"

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**As usual, it would mean the world if you guys reviewed! (I have 14 followers- so excited!)**

**Next time: The Curse of the Black Spot...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow! I got 2 new reviews and 3 followers so welcome to you all, I hope you are enjoying!**

**In response to reviews: Indeed, she is! She's about to be dropped in the deep end (please forgive bad water pun) And, don't worry! I will be updating as quickly as I can, churning out chapters.**

**I also wanted to let you guys know that, in between canon episodes, I may do little scenes, drabbles IF you guys want me to, as in if there is something you want to see, then tell me.**

**Anyway, on with the show!**

**Hx **

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter Five**

They had been wrenched from the hatch and moved into the Captain's quarters, Susan being pushed in last, roughly by one of the pirate; a black man with dreadlocks and she shot him a dark look. They were manoeuvred to be surrounded into the middle of the cabin. The Doctor meanwhile was trying to explain to the Captain what had brought them here.

"We made no signal." The introduced Captain Avery was telling the Doctor.

"Our sensors picked you up. Ship in distress." The Doctor replied. Susan looked around the cabin, taking it in and thinking. She looked at the maps on the desk.

"Sensors?" The Captain was confused, and rightly so. Susan picked up a telescope.

"This is the...seventeenth century." She said to her grandfather who looked at her then nodded, before returning his gaze to the captain, bashful.

"Yes. Okay, problem word. Seventeenth century. My ship automatically, er, noticed-ish that your ship was having some bother." The Doctor was trying his best, making Susan roll her eyes slightly at his bumbling attitude. Avery frowned.

"That big blue crate?" Many of the crew had been perplexed by the TARDIS, the Doctor managing to completely confuse them. The Doctor grinned, snapped his fingers and pointed at the Captain.

"That is more magic, Captain Avery. They're spirits. How else would they have found their way below decks?" One of the men warned, looking judginly at them. Susan shrugged, she could say multidimensional engineering but they were seventeenth century pirates and she wasn't sure they were that advanced, to be honest. Pirates, always a superstitious lot.

"Well, er, I want to say multidimensional engineering, but since you had a problem with sensors, I won't go there." He said, speaking mostly what Susan was thinking. He changed tactics. "Look, I'm the Doctor. This is Amy. Rory. Susan." The Doctor explained, introducing them all and pointing to each in turn.

"We're sailors, same as you. Travellers. Definitely not stowaways." Susan said, holding her hands out in an attempt to reason with them; but the Captain pulled a gun, pointing it at her face. She shut up. The Doctor's eyes flicked towards her with worry.

"Except for the gun thing. And the beardiness." He said, with a forced bravado, seemingly real.

"You're stowaways. Only explanation. Eight days, we've been stranded here, becalmed. You must have stowed away before we sailed!" Captain Avery argued, holding the gun aloft. Susan thought he had a valid point, she would have thought the same but at the moment he was wrong.

"Now what do we do with 'em?" The crewmember asked his Captain.

"Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality." The Doctor smiled and Susan watched the gun apprehensively.

"This should be fun." She joked, dryly.

It was a few minutes later they found themselves being held on deck, the Doctor being forced onto the plank as the crew laughed and Rory, Amy and Susan struggled against the men holding them.

"I suppose that laughing like that is in the job description. Can you do the laugh? Check. Grab yourself a parrot. Welcome aboard." The Doctor told them nervously, air ticking a list before preparing to dive, Susan giving a small gasp as the plank wobbled. How were they going to get out of this mess.

"Stocks are low. Only one barrel of water remains. We don't need four more empty bellies to fill." Avery explained, his face detached. He turned to his men. "Take the doxies below to the galley. Set them to work. They won't need much feeding." Susan's heart plummeted as she and Amy were let go, instead backed back along the ship, Rory making sounds of protest.

"Doxy?" Susan shouted, offended. Who did they think they were? Pirates or not she was not letting that go.  
"Rory? A little help?" Amy asked by Susan's side, her eyes fixed on the leering pirate in front of them. But Rory could really do nothing, being restrained.

"Yeah. Hey, listen, right? They're not doxies." He said, not as firmly as he could've to the captain.

"I didn't mean just tell him off." They had reached the front of the hold and Susan was grabbed by the head along with Amy. Amy was pushed into the hold. She managed to give a thumbs up to Rory and a wry smile. It was all good. She hoped.

"Thanks anyway." She let out a shriek as the man tugged on her hair, sending her sprawling down into the hold.  
"If you're lucky you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite." Captain Avery said, his attention back on the Doctor.

"If this is just because I'm a captain too, you know, you shouldn't feel threatened. Your ship is much bigger than mine. And I don't have the cool boots. Or a hat, even." He remarked back, trying to think of a plan.

Down in the hold, Susan rubbed her head, wincing. Ouch. Amy got up, groaning as she heard the leak in the boat sending water sprawling through the already cramped room; filled with chests and seafaring equipment.

"Now what?" The Scottish girl asked. Susan thought, leaning against the steep ladder they'd been pushed down.

"What would he do, the Doctor?"

"Make something up."

"Exactly…" Susan hunted around the chests, finally opening one to reveal a pile of swords. Amy ran to her side. "Amy…ever wanted to be a pirate at all?" She saw Amy's eyes flicker to a pair of coats and a hat. They shared the same knowing grin.

"Where are the rest of the crew? This is a big ship. Big for five of you." The Doctor holds his nose, his voice now becoming comical and squeaky. "I suppose the rest of them are hiding some place, and they're going to jump out and shout boo."

Susan and Amy creep up behind the crew, look at each other and nod.

"Boo!" They both yell. Amy is donned in a dark, faded blue coat and a tricorn hat, Susan having grabbed the nearby tarnished red one. They both hold matching cutlasses, pointed at a crew members throat.

"Throw the gun down." Amy demands. Avery obliges and Susan kicked it away. She gave the crew a steely glare.

"The rest of you, on your knees." Susan says with authority, calling up on her past. "Now." She barks sternly. The Doctor makes his way back along the plank, face controlled, angry almost.

"Susan, Amy, what are you doing?" He asks them. Susan shoots him a likewise glare. He has no right to tell her what to do.

"Saving your life. Okay with that, are you?" Amy asked, watching the crew steadily, sword still brandished.

"Let them go." Susan said to the man with dreadlocks, the same who pushed her to begin with, who was now holding Rory. She didn't like him and so her sword aimed his way. The man backed away, leaving Rory free. Susan jerked her head, indicating he should join the Doctor.

"Put down the sword. A sword could kill us all." Avery watched Amy's blade carefully, with fear. Susan glanced at the Captain. A little coward for a pirate.

"Yeah, thanks. That is actually why we're pointing it at you."

Then before they had time to blink, one of the men lunged at Amy who gave a yell, another grabbing a makeshift weapon and attacking Susan. She let out a small yelp of astonishment, blocking the blow but not before more were coming, she blocked each one before trying to lunge at the man. He jumped out of the way, terrified. The Doctor tried to help but was pushed back by Avery as the whole crew swarmed at both Susan and Amy. They went side to side, almost shoulder to shoulder as they surveyed the crew, and lunged at each in turn but they all shied away. Growing in confidence, Amy grinned and Susan gave a wink at one of the crew before they all lunged and Susan's smile dropped as she took on two and Amy took on some. Susan forced her way in and was soon surrounded, but one threat of the sword sent the men cowering.

Susan now faced a scraggly man with a brown beard and hair held back by a similar hat to Amy's. She blocked his wooden stave, cutting across it and he fell back, before lunging upwards again. Susan took a blow to the arm but adrenaline fuelled her and she returned with a punch to the face. The Doctor looking on with a mix of horror and slight pride. Atta' girl, though violence is never the answer. She shot him a look, breathing hard.

Amy meanwhile ran up some steps, being forced back by her opponent. She grabs a rope and swings, slashing at the sailor who had rewrapped Rory by his arms. The Doctor let out a mimicking yell and put a hand up, shielding his eyes.

Amy landed with a jump on a barrel and Susan ran to her side. The sailor, Dancer, whimpered, looking at his cut hand.

"You have killed me." He says in a deep voice. Amy scoffed.

"No way. It's just a cut. What kind of rubbish pirates are you?"

"No…something's wrong." Susan says, dropping her cutlass and running to the man's side to see a large, black spot appear on his skin. She looked at it quizzically as the Captain raised his voice.

"One drop, that's all it takes. One drop of blood and she'll rise out of the ocean." He declared, his face worried. Susan walked over to him, leaving the marked sailor, her gaze judging.

"Who?" She asked, but Amy protested more.

"Come on, I barely even scratched him. What are you all in such a huff about?" She groans, one of the men comes towards her and she swung again, but the man grabs her. She lets go of the sword, and sends it spiralling through the air. Rory makes a grab for it but cuts himself. Susan's hearts plummet. Something is not right on this ship.

"Ow! Argh!" He lets out as both he and Amy are restrained back. One of the crew members goes to Susan but she picks up her previously discarded cutlass and aims it at him, threateningly. He backs away. She doesn't see the Doctor's confused look at his darker granddaughter, his mind wondering what happened to her.

Rory stares at his hand as a black spot appears. He holds it up. "Er, Doctor, what's happening to me?"

"She can smell the blood on your skin. She's marked you for death." Susan's head turned to the Captain from Rory. Death was never good.

"She?" Susan asked, firmly.

"A demon, out there in the ocean." Susan nodded at the words, looking at her grandfather. He breaks out into a smile and Susan's mood plummets. Could he not be serious about anything? His friend was marked for death.

"Okay. Groovy. So not just pirates today. We've managed to bagsy a ship where there's a demon popping in." The Doctor grins, walking over and examining the spot as Rory looked behind him at the ocean, looking scared. "Very efficient. I mean, if something's going to kill you, it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you." The Doctor pats Rory's cheek, a hint of excitement on his child like features. Susan glares but they all turn as suddenly singing fills the air. No words, just sound, elegant and mystifying. They all turn, the Doctor looking this way and that as Susan moves to the main group of them, her sword in front of her as she stands by her grandfather.

One of the crew members panics. "Quickly now, block out the sound."

"What?" Rory asks, confused. Avery answers.

"The creature. She charms all her victims with that song." The rest of the crew put their fingers in their ears.

"Oh, great. So put my fingers in my ears, that's your plan?" Rory cried, obviously annoyed but Susan is scared, looking around, wondering what this 'demon' will look like. "Doctor, come on. Let's go. Let's get back to the er, back to the er-" His voice trails off as both he and the other man enter a hysteria, giggling to themselves.

Then Susan sees her. She tugs on the tweed sleeve. "Doctor, Amy…look." She says, spotting in the water a light, like a green spotlight over calm, still water. She is ignored however as one of the men pipe up.

"The music. It's working on him." Rory was now delusional and walked over to Amy, grabbing a rope and swinging slightly, gazing at his wife.

"You are so beautiful." He says in awe.

"What?" Amy said, taken aback, she moved away.

"I love your get up. That's great. You should dress as a pirate more often." Rory speaks like he's been drugged. Hypnotic effect? Susan thought. No, perhaps a modifier of some sort? Rory reaches out to Amy. "Hey, hey, cuddle me, shipmate."

"Rory, stop." Amy said, more firmly and looking more disgusted. Susan and the Doctor look on with mixed horror and confusion. Rory put his hands on her shoulders.

"Everything is totally brilliant, isn't it? Look at these brilliant pirates. Look at their brilliant beards. I'd like a beard. I'm going to grow a beard." He told the other hypnotised pirate. Amy gave him a warning.

"The music turns them into fools." Captain Avery told them and Susan clenched her teeth, frustrated.

"Got to you as well then did it?" She bit out at the captain. The pirates should have explained this before they tried to kill them. They could've helped, could still help with the TARDIS. "Now, Doctor…look!" She said, firmly, her gaze flying back to the ocean.

"Oh my God." Susan heard Amy exclaim. The rest turn to see a woman rise up from the water, flying up before landing on the deck. Susan was pushed out of the way as the entranced pirate barged past her, she fell into the Doctor's arms, sharing a brief look before she stood back up, and in time to see Dancer rest his finger on the woman's outstretched hand.

"NO!" Susan screams as he explodes into a cloud of soot. He was dead. Gone. Of course, she was with her grandfather again. Everyone died. She turned back to see Amy pushing back Rory, who was fighting to get close to the siren.

"I have to touch her. Let me touch her." He pleads but Amy pushes him back and walk forward to address the siren

"Sorry, but he is spoken for." The Siren hisses, turning from calm green to a blazing red in anger. She sends out a pulse of energy and Amy is thrown backwards across the deck.

"Amy!" Susan and the Doctor yell at the same time. Susan rushes over to the fallen woman, helping her up as the Doctor kicks into action, grabbing Rory. Susan helps Amelia. "Everybody into the hold!" The Doctor shouts.

"Hey! Wait!" Rory protests.

They managed to get into the hold, the water splashing, at least a couple of inches deep. Amy was shaken, the Doctor clutching Rory, who seemed to be under less of the siren's spell.

"What is that thing?" Amy asked, breathing heavily from her blow; clearly shaken.

That's what Susan would like to know as well.

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**Please, I would love to know what you think of my take on Susan! So, leave comments in a review and I would love you forever!**

**H x**

**P.S I am available on Tumblr: **


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter!**

**A friend: A gem? You are to kind. I will keep going, I have big plans for it.**

**MadnessofSilence: I know! I love 11 but from an outsider's point of view, and esp Susan's who last saw her grandfather as a mature man, and already angry with him for reasons that will be divulged, she just wants to smack him ;) Glad you like my take on a New Susan.**

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**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter Six**

"The legend. The siren. Many a merchant ship laden with treasure has fallen prey to her. She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed, picking off the injured." Captain Avery told them. Susan had heard of the siren, and its legend. A beautiful yet deadly female that lured sailors to their deaths with their song. Well, she fit the bill.

"Like a shark. A shark can smell blood." Boatswain added, attempting to add a metaphor. The Doctor looked thoughtful but excited.

"Okay. Just like a shark, in a dress. And singing. And green? A green singing shark in an evening gown." He said, gesturing above their heads to where the siren was mostly likely still hunting.

Susan walked over to the Doctor. "Shut up." She said, fed up. They were stuck, on a boat, becalmed with a raging psychopath of a siren up there, wanting to disintegrate his friend and he was choosing metaphors. How in 400 years did he get so idiotic? The Doctor's face fell slightly, he was trying to be optimistic- like he always would, and hoped his granddaughter would enjoy herself but she seemed so angry at him still. Avery butted in, the fear for his life making him bark at the two Timelords.

"The ship is cursed!"

"Yeah, right. Cursed is big with humans. It means bad things are happening but you can't be bothered to find an explanation." He said, tone turning from light-hearted to one of disgust, one for this time, Susan agreed on.

"You can't just find an answer. No, sit on your sofa." She told them, and then crooked her head, thinking. "If you had one."

Rory was still in trance, grappling with Amy in his drug like state. "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He told his angry wife.

"Actually, I think you'll find she isn't." Amy said, annoyed but knowing he wasn't talking straight- however the words still hurt.

"She is."

Susan turned to the Doctor. They needed to go, to save Rory, save all these people. The TARDIS would help them, help them all and then they could move on and she could leave. She didn't want to be with her Grandfather, not after what had happened.

"We have to leave right now." She said, forcefully to the Doctor.

"That thing of yours really is a ship?" It had seemed that Captain Avery had the same idea. They were all looking around, people and Ponds for one wink of green.

"Well, it's not propelled by the wind." The Doctor replied, honestly. Avery replied with his gun in the Doctor's face as well as an order.

"Show me. Weigh anchor. Make it sail."

The Doctor let out a sigh, annoyed. He wasn't bothered by the barrel of the gun in his face. "And the gun's back. You're big on the gun thing, aren't you? Freud would say you're compensating. Ever met Freud? No? Comfy sofa." He sighed, tilting his head back and remembering.

"Leave the cursed one, Captain. The creature can have him." A crewmember called, glaring at Rory. Susan went to stand in front of the Ponds.

"Yes, please." Rory answered, distant, only making Rory grab on tighter.

"We don't want the siren coming after us." Avery said, agreeing with his man. Then one of the men let out a howl of pain, sending the rest into a frightened frenzy.

"It's a leech!" Amy spots.

"Everyone out of the water!" The Doctor shouts and they all scrabble for dry wood. Susan choosing a chest with a flat top to stand on, next to the Doctor who stares as the bitten crew member wiped his leg in horror before showing a newly formed black spot on his hand

"It's bitten me. I'm bleeding." The Doctor frowns.

"She wants blood. Why does she want blood?" But Amy chooses this moment to retort back.

"What were you saying about leaving the cursed ones behind?"

"It's okay, we're safe down here. No curse is getting through three solid inches of timber." He says to reassure them. But he is wrong. No sooner as he says that the siren bursts from the water behind Susan and the Doctor who turn and jump in surprise. She begins to sing.

"You may be wrong about that…" Susan decided as the Doctor grabbed her hand and tugged her far away, towards the rest. But the bitten crewmember is not so fortunate, and is drawn towards her. They all shout and Susan grabs for the man but it is too late, Susan's hand slips and the crew member explodes at the siren's touch, leaving just a hat behind.

They run out of the room, the Doctor, Amy and Susan all herding a delirious Rory till they get to the mess deck and lock the door.

"Safe?" Amy asked the Doctor, sarcastically as he moved away from the door. He held out his hands as an apology.

"I have my good days and my bad days." Susan scoffed, remembering all his 'bad' days.

"You got that right." She turned to Avery, missing the look of hurt that flashed across the Doctor's face, but he said nothing. Because she was right, of course.

"How did she get in?" Avery demanded. The Doctor buzzed the hat with the sonic.

"Bilge water. She's using water like a portal, a door. She can materialise through a single drop." The Doctor explained, in a flurry.

"We need to go somewhere with no water." Susan concluded, internally cursing. They were on a ship. Where was there not water, she thought hard. The Doctor slowly put on the hat, looking for somewhere, thinking of somewhere they could go.

"Well, thank God we're not in the middle of the ocean." Amy quipped, struggling with Rory.

"Did you see her eyes? Like crystal pools." He said, dreamily, thinking of the siren.

"You are in enough trouble." Amy warned him, holding him tightly.

"The magazine." Susan said, snapping her fingers in triumph. They all turned to her and the Doctor beamed as the rest looked on confused.

"What?" Amy asked.

"She means the armoury where the powder's stored." The Doctor grinned. "Brilliant, Susan!" He cheered.

"It'll be dry down there. Lead the way, Captain." Susan said, pointing to the Captain. The Doctor stepped forward.

"Good. Let's go there." Susan held out a hand to stop him.

"Not you, Doctor." Again, the pang of formal titles hit the Doctor but he stepped down.

"I give the orders." Avery stated, drawing his gun again and the Doctor gave a cheeky grin before grasping Susan's hand before she could wrench free.

"Ah. Worried because I'm wearing a hat now?" He pulled her along, not wanting her to be hurt. They already had Rory to take care of. "Nobody touch anything sharp!" He ordered as they all walked through the belly of the ship to what they hoped was a safe place and siren-free.

"You'd better fix this." Susan said to the Doctor as they walked.

"Promise." He replied, looking back at her fleetingly. Susan sighed. Promises could be broken.

Eventually they reached the door to the magazine, the Boatswain grabbing his collection of keys and rifling through. But he couldn't find it.

"Quickly, man." Avery urges but the Boatswain answers feebly, rushed, panicked.

"I can't find the key. Tis gone, Cap'n."

"How can it have gone?" Avery queried at his man.

Susan's hearts dropped as she walked forwards, letting go of the Doctor's hand, and pushing at the door to the magazine, which swung open with a creek.

"I think someone else had the same idea." She exclaimed, steadily. Captain Avery pushed past her, then the Doctor, and then she went in, the rest of the crew, as well as the Ponds, entering as well.

The magazine was a small room in the ship, filled with barrels of gunpowder and a few hung lanterns.

"Barricade the door. Careful of that lantern. Every barrel is full of powder." Avery warned and Susan stared at a barrel, moving away. The Doctor moved around the centre of the room.

"Who's been sleeping in my gun room?" He asks. A cough rings out from one of the barrels and in a flash, Avery is over there and pulling out a scraggly boy, angry.

"You fool! You fool, boy. What are you doing here?" He roared, pushing the boy against the wall. The Doctor moves to his side.

"Who is he? What, he's not one of the crew?" The Doctor asks the rest of them. Susan moves to his side and whispers as the Captain pauses to collect himself.

"No. If he was part of the crew he'd be with us. The Captain was keeping his men together. He's a stowaway." She hissed, and the Doctor nodded.

"He's my son." Avery murmured, and let his son drop and they all sat down on barrels, the boy coughing feverishly. He was introduced as Toby. The Captain looked at his son. "What in God's name possessed you, boy? Your mother will be searching for you." The boy looks away and Susan's eyes drop. Ah. She recognised that look. Avery did to. "When?"

"Last winter. Fever. She told me all about you. How you were a Captain in the Navy. An honourable man, she said. How I'd be proud to know you." He gave another cough. "I've come to join your crew."

"I don't want you here." The Captain replied, automatically.

"You can't send me back. It's too late. We're a hundred miles from home." Toby replied. Susan gave a small smile, a sad one. The boy had heart, like his father, however misguided.

"It's dangerous here. There is a monster aboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin." Avery warned his son. Susan looked over at the Doctor who was standing silent, his own lips up at the edges slightly. He caught her eye.

"The black spot?" Toby uttered in a small voice. Susan and the Doctor both looked away, there focus now on the boy. Oh no. He knew. So that must mean…sure enough, Toby lifted his hand to reveal a black spot on his palm. Susan closes her eyes. No.

Later, Susan is checking over Toby. "There's no scars, no cuts. Nothing." She said, looking the boy over, her mothering instincts kicking in over the fragile boy. She puts a hand to his forehead which is scorching. Fever, then. He's ill. Ill…

"Yep. Ignore my last theory." The Doctor said, softly, sitting on a barrel next to Amy. She pats him affectionately.

"He has his good days and his bad days." She reiterates.

"It's not just blood, she's coming for all the sick and wounded, like a hunter chooses the weakest animal." He told everyone. Susan put an arm around the coughing boy. The way the Doctor phrased it was clinical, as if he was talking of an experiment, not real lives. Not of now.

"But why? Why wait? Touch of the hand and poof…why wait till they get ill?" She asks, making the Doctor frown.

"Okay, look, he's got a fever. The siren knows it." Amy explains, and Susan nods but it didn't answer her question.

"Humans. Second-rate. Damage too easily. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised." He trails off, noticing the looks he gets from the humans on the ship. He changes tactics. "My ship, it can sail us all away from here. You and me, we fetch it. Let's go."

Unsurprisingly, at least from Susan's point of view, Avery draws his gun. She leaves Toby, stepping forward, an urge to protect him. "You're not the Captain here, remember." Avery reminds the Doctor.

Toby opens a barrel of fresh water and Susan lets out a yell as a green hand reaches out. Instantly Susan pulls Toby away as the Doctor forces the lid back down. She hugs the boy close. "Keep away from the water!"

"One touch of her hand and you're a dead man." Avery warns. The mostly silent Boatswain pipes up. As the Doctor rests a hand on Toby and looks at Susan as well, checking that they are alright.

"We're all cursed if we stay aboard." The Doctor's stance changes as he glares at Boatswain.

"It's not a curse. Curse means game over. Curse means we're helpless." He says to the man before speaking to them all. "We are not helpless!" He shouts, before stopping, out of breath from forcing the barrel down. He looks at Avery. "Captain, what's our next move?"

Avery explained the plan. They were to get the TARDIS. Stringing a medallion around Toby's neck, he turns to his crew.

"Wait with the boy." He orders.

"Captain, we're all in danger here." Boatswain protested but Avery had none of it.

"I said wait. And barricade the door after we've gone."

Susan let go of the boy, walking over to Amy and Rory. The plan was for them to stay, Avery and the Doctor would get the TARDIS. She wasn't going to argue, she didn't want to spend that much time with him, for fear he'd talk to her.

"Sure you want to go?" Amy asked the Doctor, softly.

"We have to get Rory and Toby away. She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling a saucepan, grating cheese."

"Okay. Well, remember, if you get an itch, don't scratch too hard." Amy said, weirded out by the Doctor's elaborate hands. She wished him luck, if rather feebly.

"We've all got to go some time." Amy bit her lip, looking away and Susan's eyes narrowed. Was Amy hiding something? The Doctor noticed as well but walked to Rory. "There are worse ways than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid." He joked.

"True enough." She could think of a few herself, one she'd actually tried. The Doctor gave a small smile, a nod and Susan gave a smile back, as if it were an understanding. Then he leaves with Avery and the men barricade the door as they all sit down on wooden floor.

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**As always, love feedback so leave a review xx**

**PS: Short chapter will hopefully be uploaded in the morning ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I promised a quick short chapter. This is back in my comfort zone which basically means...angst. Sorry about that.**

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter Seven**

"So…you and the Doctor?" Amy said, sitting down, holding onto Rory's arm. He looks better but still slightly dazed. Susan looks up, brow furrowing.

"What about us?" She asks bluntly. Amy had not quite accepted Susan yet, and whilst they had made progress in their friendship, neither fully trusted each other, no matter how deft their swordplay earlier.

"He's your family, yeah?" Amy pries, wanting to know more about the girl. She was reminded of Avery and Toby. One wanting to cling onto what family they had left and the other too damaged to let them close, scared they would fail them. And the Doctor was not Avery. Susan was an enigma. A Timelord, yes, but why so shy?

"Bound by blood." She answers with a slight smile. That's the only reason she's here. If she could go back, be where she was supposed to be instead of here. She wasn't ready to forgive, not yet. Perhaps not ever. But Amy wasn't done. She gently leant forwards and Susan looked up at her.

"Then what happened between you two?" She asked, concerned mainly for the Doctor. She'd seen him hurt before, seen him low and never wanted to see him again. Susan also made him emotional; the Doctor's people were gone after all. And when he was emotional, he made mistakes. "I see him look at you and he just looks so…sad."

Susan sighs, rubbing her tired eyes before her hand drops and she looks at Amy, squarely. "You want to do this now? During a murderous mermaid siege?" She said, with raised eyebrows. Amy shrugged, not one to be swayed.

"Well, we can't do it after we're dead."

"Fair point." Susan takes a moment, deciding whether to tell her tale. She gave a long breath, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "Alright…the Doctor and I…" Already the words were catching in her throat. She had not said this for a long time and the memories were more potent than she had thought, as if it were yesterday. But Amy watches on patiently, the rest of the crew in quiet discussions themselves, not listening. She continues. "My Grandfather and I…he left me on Earth, a while ago so I could have a life there."

She smiles, looking through Amy as she remembered. David. He had been so dashing; so handsome. It had been true love, she supposed, if one were to believe such things. She had needed to grow up, belong. She could not do that in the TARDIS. Susan thought, now, after everything, she may visit home. But of course, she could not stay there. There were other matters, but she would like to see her parents again.

"And that was bad?" Amy brought her out of her thoughts. Susan gave a little chuckle at that.

"No! No, it was amazing." She explained, and Amy gave a timid smile. "I met a man, fell in love, got married, and adopted 3 children. Had 1 child biologically. Little miracle. Only 7% Timelord. My Alex." Her voice trailed off and got hollow as she spoke. Her baby. Her children. Ian. Barbara. David Jr. Alex. She thought each name as a prayer, a wish, closing her eyes, getting lost in the memory of their faces in her mind. She was close to tears, but now wasn't the time. There was never time. But it wasn't working.

"That's nice. So what happened?" Amy asked, watching the young old woman with empathy. Susan opened her eyes and brought a hand up, wiping her eye. Tears. Salty tears lay on her fingertips as her eyes watered and she fought to keep her composure, her hands now clutching at her drawn up legs.

"Daleks. 2nd Dalek Invasion, they came for Earth. I helped to fight, keep peace and help refugees all at once. And my grandfather came back. 8th face. This must be his…9th?"

"11th." Amy said solemnly. Susan was shocked. So long. He had hardly any regenerations left. He'd used them all. 2 faces gone and she hadn't seen him. Why did he never look? But she cleared her throat, she could not think like that, not now. There was no point.

"Oh. That's a long time." She nods, and then waited a moment before speaking again. "Still…he came in his eighth face, with his then companion Lucie. She and Alex took to one another. But…something happened…and they died." Her voice broke as she sucked in a deep breath, otherwise she would have broken down. Her poor child.

"I'm sorry." Amy said. She realised then how little she knew of her Raggedy Man. All those years, that time on Gallifrey. He never spoke of it. And Lucie and Alex had died. Did such a fate lie for Rory and herself?

"400 years ago now. Eventually all my family died. David, Ian, Junior and Barbara. And my grandfather flew away, didn't even say goodbye he just left me in the rubble, with the death of my son to grieve." Susan's voice became detached as tears fell from her face, and she wiped her nose with a sleeve of her pirate coat. Amy was speechless, not knowing what to say, how to comfort the girl. How do you comfort someone who has experienced and lived more than you ever will, and yet is as fragile as the age she looked?

"So, I see that's why then." Amy commented, reaching out a hand to squeeze Susan's before removing it again. Susan paused, her sorrow and grief taking her over but she fought to remain in control. She took in a deep breath again, wiping her eyes as her shoulders shook.

"Yeah…that's why." She whispered, resting her head against the wall and shutting her eyes.

* * *

**Definitely shorter than last time but I wanted it separate. **

**I'd love it if you let me know how I am doing with this fic and a big hand to AnaDona for some advice. If you have not read her stories then go. Go now. No, seriously, NOW! She's amazing.**

**Review?**

**H x**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, here's the next chapter! Chapter 9 will then conclude this episode! Hope you like it. Never realised how much you want to get into detail when rewriting this stuff!**

**But I am looking forward to The Doctor's Wife- gonna be some drama!**

**H x**

* * *

**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 8**

They waited in silence for over 15 minutes, Susan was still sitting down, looking slightly lost, Amy and Rory had gotten restless, Amy especially. Rory looked normal now, free from the Siren's presence which made them all feel better, despite the black marks.

Amy was walking back and forth, annoyed and her husband picked up on it, he walked over to her, exasperated.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"The most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" She commented, sounding the most vulnerable Susan had heard her. Rory instantly panicked and groaned his reaction causing a small smile to grace Amy's features.

"Oh, tell me I didn't really say that." But Amy's smile dropped as she looked at the crewmates, who were dismantling the barricade, moving the barrels.

"What's going on?"

"We're not staying here to mollycoddle the boy or swap childish stories. The Captain's gone soft. It's time for us to leave." They called back, uncaring about the rest of them. Toby stood up; making Susan jerk her head, finally back with them, wondering what was going on.

"He told you to wait, you dog. He's your Captain, a Naval Officer. You're honour-bound to do as he tells you." Toby said, drawing himself up to his full height. Susan gets up as Amy puts an arm around the boy, whilst Susan looks at the crewmate.

"Toby…" She warns. He shouldn't find put the truth like this, no one should. But the crewmate stopped, turning and answered a lilt of dark humour in his voice.

"Honour-bound? Do you know what kind of ship this is? Do you know what your father does?"

"Don't listen to him, Toby." Amy murmured, shielding the boy. Susan stepped forward, now very angry.

"You shut your mouth, now." She said, darkly but he waved her aside, not caring for any doxy.

"We sail under the black flag. The Jolly Roger." Toby's reaction was instant and Rory and Amy held him back, Susan putting out an arm between the pirate and Toby, watching the man with a new level of hatred.

"Liar! He's no wicked pirate!" Toby yelled, only spurring on the Boatswain's words.

"Oh, you think so? I have seen your father gun down a thousand innocent men." Susan looked back at Toby as a level of hopelessness entered his eyes, before resignation. The Boatswain turned to the other fellow, the man Susan had punched earlier. "Get what treasure you can. I'll meet you in the row boat."

But Toby had other ideas. Whilst everyone was looking at the barricade and the men, Toby had picked up Susan's cutlass. "You're going to remain at your post."

"I am not playing games with you, boy. You put that down." A tremble of fear worked its way into the man's voice as he stared at the metal point.

"One more step and I'll use this, you blaggard."

"You don't know how to fight with a cutlass, boy."

"Don't need to, do I." And he steps forwards and cuts the pirates hand, a gash on his palm. Boatswain turns his palm and sees the fresh, black spot.

"You little swabber!" He snarls, his eyes not leaving his now shaking hand. Amy stepped forward, next to Susan.

"Congratulations. You made it to the menu." Amy said, darkly, glaring at the men. "Probably shouldn't go out there now, eh, Susan?" Susan shook her head slowly.

"I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't." She growled. The dead man walking pulled his sword in his fear.

"You scurvy apes!" Before Susan could get offended by the saying, they all stepped back and Toby raised his sword once more.

"Don't shoot. The powder will blow and kill us all." Rory said, holding out a hand. Mulligan, the only unscathed man, took the keys from his co-crewmember's belt, making the man look up in shock.

"Mulligan, what are you doing?" He whimpered as Mulligan left.

"No honour among pirates." Susan told him. The Boatswain lowered his gun, his face a mask of fear, that Susan almost felt sorry for him. Almost. They were in the same boat now, and they had to protect Rory and Toby. In his fear, the Boatswain starts rebuilding the barricade but Susan walks forwards.

"Stop, I'm going out." She said, determined. Amy and Rory turned to her in shock.

"Susan!" Amy cried. Susan only shrugged, her face set.

"Someone needs to. You stay here, look after Toby and Rory. I will dedal with Mulligan and see if I can find The Doctor." Susan explained. With Mulligan outside, she needed to help him, no matter how stupid he'd been. She couldn't fly the TARDIS alone now, could she?

She turned to walk out, opening the door before Amy called out.

"You don't call him Grandfather." Susan clenched he jaw, looking back slightly before walking out to find the Doctor.

Susan walked carefully, along down the ship, looking around for the siren. She had not been marked but her hearts thumped in her chest. She brought her hands to her torso, moving steadily. Finally she reached the hold they had come out off, hearing shouting, she rushed inside and down the ladder to the Doctor and Avery, just in time to see the TARDIS disappear. She looked at the Doctor, who was looking at the empty space where the blue box had stood.

"Okay, okay, okay. TARDIS runs off on its own. That's a bit of a new one. Bang goes our only hope of getting them out of here." He uttered, worried, before turning, spotting Susan and anger flared with exasperation. "Susan! I said stay with the others where it's safe!"

"What did you do?" Susan asked. The Doctor turned round, panicked.

"Now, Susan, everything is under control." He promised, trying to reassure her. Susan raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, where's the TARDIS?"

"Somewhere?"

"Somewhere?"

"Yes." He affirmed, disgruntled, before waving his arms "Now, we need to go."

"Not much of a Captain without a ship, are you?" Avery muttered, smugness on his lips. The Doctor let out a groan and ushered them all out of the hold. Running along back the way they came through the mess deck, they stopped suddenly as Mulligan appears, pulling out two pistols, a golden crown bouncing on his wrist. The Doctor moved in front of Susan, protecting her.

"Mulligan, what are you doing? This is mutiny." Avery says, staring at his traitor. Mulligan moves past them, his aim never wavering as they press back into barrels till they have all switched positions.

"She doesn't want me. She only wants Toby and the scrawny looking fellow." Mulligan tells them before beginning to run off. Susan moved to Avery.

"He's got the last of the supplies. We should go after him." She pointed out, and the Doctor nodded.

"Never mind the damned supplies. What about my treasure?" Susan shook her head; the Captain seemed to care about his treasure too much. Susan runs after him, Mulligan looked back and spotted them all, firing his gun, sending Susan sprawling to the ground. The Doctor ducks and immediately runs to her side, his face panicked and scared.

"Susan! Susan!" He yells, frightened she had been shot. She coughs slightly and opens her eyes, looking at him with dazed eyes before a small smile graces her lips.

"Anyone got a splitting headache?" She joked. The Doctor let out a gasping laugh and pulled her up, only to pull her down again as Mulligan continues to fire before running off. Avery charges after and the Doctor grabs Susan's hand, surprised slightly at her firm grip back. He gives her a shaky smile before they clumsily give chase.

"Don't get injured. Don't get injured." The Doctor repeats. They reach the door to the supply room which Mulligan has entered and the Doctor gets out his sonic screwdriver, trying to open it.

"Come out of there, you mutinous dog!" Avery roars at the door. Then it begins. The singing. The Doctor puts away his sonic, Avery his gun as they check each for injuries, the Doctor patting down Susan down in panic, much to her protest, she assures him that she is fine. Then she spotted it.

Wordlessly, she points at the door, a light glowing through the crack under the door. "She's inside."

"She's come for Mulligan." Avery confirmed. Susan's mind raced as the Doctor attempted to open the door again, Mulligan's scream ringing out. There was no water, no water in the storeroom so how? How? The door burst open and they walk into an empty store room.

"No water in here. How did she take him? You said she uses water like a door, that's how she enters a room." Avery accused the Doctor, picking up the crown. The Doctor buzzed the room with the sonic.

"Ignore him." Susan said, distracted, moving around the small room. No water. So how. Think, Susan, think. Leeches, there was water, the dreadlocked bloke, water again. No. She looked back at the Captain. The crown. She snapped her fingers. "Eureka!"

"Eureka?" The Doctor moans, and Susan glares, before getting back to her explanation.

"The water isn't how she's getting in. Oh…we're all in danger. When we were down in the hold, think what happened. Amy, Rory, us, leeches." She said, hoping they would get it, that it would click.

AVERY: She sprang from the water. "Avery said, boldly, following her train of though. Susan's face broke into a smile and she grabbed the crown from his fingers, twirling it in her hands before pointing at it. The Doctor's eyes widened as he understood.

"But only when it grew still" Susan said, watching them both. The Doctor nodded.

"Nature's mirror." He whispered.

"So, you mean-" Avery asked.

"Yes. Not water, reflection." Susan said, glad she had cracked it but at the same time, her level of dread grew. All the reflections, how much treasure; jewels, swords, lanterns, necklaces or something. She looked at the crown. "Oh no."

"That siren legend. The curse." The Doctor said, reiterating on the train of thought, continuing the explanation. Avery was confused, starting to get frustrated.

"You said curses weren't real." The Doctor shook his head, pointing to the crown in Susan's hands.

"Folklore springs from truth. She attacks ships filled with treasure. Where else do you get a perfect reflection?" Susan watched as it clicked in the Captain's mind.

"Polished metal." Susan hides the crown under a scrap piece of cloth.

"We need to break the reflections, get to Rory, Amy and Toby! Now!" The men grow frantic and begin and Avery checks his neck, Susan already knowing what he was looking for.

"We must warn them." Susan sighed, she had just said that.

They get to the door, banging on it furiously. "Amy! Open the door!" The Doctor roars.

"Toby, open the door! Toby!"

"Open up!"

"Open the door."

"Toby!"

The door opens at the three burst through, the Doctor flying to Toby's side, wrenching on the medallion, breathing hard on each side to cloud the reflection and looking fairly stupid. Susan grabs it from his hands and jogs to the nearest barrels, dunking it into the water before shutting the water barrel, popping the top of the one storing gun powder and dunking it in that as well so the wet powder clings to the medallion. The Doctor gives an out of breath thumbs up.

"Yeah, that'll work as well." He remarked, tiredly. Then, as if he had been electrocuted, he grabs Susan's hand once again and they all run to the Captain's cabin, The Doctor uses the butt of a musket to break the glass windows, shattering them, and Susan grabs a candlestick, helping him. "We've got to destroy every reflection. Gold, silver, glass, she could spring from any of them." He cries, before whirling around and smashing a mirror repeatedly. Susan stops and stares. He turns to them. "Oh, yes, yes, I know, I know. Very bad luck to break it. But look at it this way. There's a stroppy homicidal mermaid trying to kill all."

Susan nods and proceeds to chuck out various items into the ocean.

"How much worse can things get?" Avery remarked. The Doctor moves to a chest full of treasure.

"Yep. Help me lug this lot out." Susan put down the candlestick and ran over.

"I'll help." She offers, grabbing one side of the chest. He looks up at her surprised, fighting to keep a smile off. It would be inappropriate in the given situation but he was glad to see she was helping, perhaps forgiving. He wanted her to forgive him, to put it behind them.

"...Thanks." He said, softly. Susan looked up at him, and gave a small smile and a nod. She knew he was sorry, she just needed time because after he had left her…well.

"Shut up…" She said with a kindly and quiet voice, she took one end of the chest, before Avery cut across them.

"Where are you taking it?" Susan and the Doctor looked up, frowning. What in not obvious?

"The ocean." They said together.

"No! No. This is the treasure of the Mogul of India." Avery protested, gazing at the chest. The Doctor let go, standing up to face the Captain.

"Oh, good. For a moment there I thought it was yours." He wasn't impressed nor in the mood for dallying.

"No, no. Doctor, wait. Must we do this?" He implored, and Susan stood up as well, patting Captain Avery on the shoulder. He turned to face her, her eyes dark.

"Any reflection, any mirror, and the siren will attack. We have to protect Rory and Toby." She told him, and glanced at the Doctor. "The Doctor may be a fool in some areas but trust me and do not argue. Now, go and get the crown from the storeroom." She ordered. The Captain got the message as he promptly turned, muttering something about women, and left the room. The Doctor wasted no time in grabbing the chest, along with Susan and throwing the treasure out. They picked up the various metal items left and threw them out with a satisfying splash in the ocean.

The Doctor twirled around the room, looking to see if there was any left. "That's the last of it."

"Good, we'd best get back." Susan said, turning and moving towards the door but the Doctor grabbed her arm, and she turned.

"Susan…" He began, his voice imploring. He wanted to talk about it. Susan nodded solemnly. They hadn't the time and she didn't want to- couldn't…not yet. She could stand him but not trust him, not completely.

"I know." She said, before turning and walking, the Doctor standing alone in the quarters before slowly following back to the magazine. Susan entered, and Rory and Amy stood up quickly, Avery already standing there.

"What is it? What do we do now?" Amy asked the girl, but the Doctor entered as she opened her mouth.

"We need to wait." He answered, swiftly.

"Just wait?" Rory asked, folding his arms, disgruntled. The Doctor pulled a face.

"Not my most dynamic plan, I realise."

"And we can't use the TARDIS it's been…" Susan struggled to explain.

"Towed." He ended the sentence, flashing a grin at her before looking back at the stony faces of the Ponds. His smile vanished, and he looked slightly sheepish. "Sorry. We might be stuck here for a while."

"So you're saying that we should all just wait here below?" Susan sat down on a barrel. She wished she could think of something, but the Doctor's was the best, if only, plan.

"The sea is still calm, like a mirror. If you go out on deck she'll rise up and attack you." Avery told them and Susan pointed at him, showing her agreement.

"It's okay. The calm won't last forever. When the wind picks up we'll all set sail." The Doctor said with a joyous grin, the childish dream of piracy obviously in his mind.

"Until it does, you have to hide down here." Avery said. But Susan was feeling less optimistic.

"If it does at all…"

Later, at night, they are all bunked down, using sacks as pillows; they are laid across the floor. Toby and Avery are sat in the corner, having a conversation as Susan lies with her thoughts, looking over at the sleeping Ponds.

So much had happened she wasn't sure where to begin. So many things she didn't know. She took a steady breath. She wished she wasn't here, stuck on a boat with her grandfather. She wished she could forgive him, but she can't, because of what his actions had led to, because of all those years alone. She's scared to sleep, because the nightmares may not leave her alone. She turns as she hears some of Avery and his son's conversation. Toby speaks.

"You promised her. You promised you'd come home. And she believed you would, right up until the day she died." Susan tuned out after that and Avery leaves, the words ringing in her ears as she thought of the last time, with his eighth face.

_"Here, I've got you. I remember when you were so young;" _

_"And you were so old." _

She sighed, and got up, dusting off her jeans. Suddenly, Amy sat up, eyes wide. Susan clambered to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder

"Amy? You alright?" Susan asked, concerned. Amy turns to her, and gives her a confused look, as if she cannot quite remember something, or she is remembering something that shouldn't quite be there. But then she nods, and gives a small smile.

"Yeah…fine. Go to sleep." Susan nods, knowing Amy will not want her to press the matter. But she stands up once more and doesn't go to sleep; she needs less than humans do, so she walks out onto the deck, silently. Susan spots Avery and the Doctor, looking at the sky. She follows their gaze and a smile instantly appears as she looks at the vast, endlessness of it all. She never quite got the hang of endings. They always seemed to be wrong.

Slowly, she made her way over as the Doctor talks to Avery, pointing upwards.

"The Dog star, Sirius." He's explaining.

"Binary system." Susan agrees, going to stand next to him, and looking up. He puts an arm around her, and she doesn't pull away.

"I use it to navigate the ocean."

"I've travelled far, like you. Space can be very lonely, and the greatest adventure is having someone share it with you." Susan looks down at this, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips.

"If we get out of this I'll take him back to England. He can't stay with me. I'm not the father he needs." Avery spoke with sadness.

"Who are you, Henry Avery? Respected naval officer, wife and child at home." The Doctor muses, more than asks. Susan looked at the Captain; a ma off such prestige, sunk so low. "How did you end up here, wandering the oceans with a band of rogues?"

Avery deflects the question. "I've set my course now. Nothing I can do to alter it."

"People stared at it for centuries and never knew." He let go of Susan, and started to move away, back to the Ponds. He gave a smile of hope, and of wisdom. "Things can suddenly change, when you're least expecting."

Susan and Avery stood there, looking at the Dog Star with a wonder before Susan turned to the Captain.

"You can try to change things. Hold onto family, Henry. Hold onto it because it goes…very quickly."

* * *

**And in response to my wonderful reviewers:**

**DanniFielding (cannot believe you read it, seriously.) : I know! Curse of the Timelords but Susan is glad of the time she had and I am glad you find it interesting.**

**Whouffletothemax: I like this a lot too!**

_**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did...tell me? x**_


	9. Chapter 9

**God, people can write episodes in 2 chapters. I take 5. Urgh. Well, I am learning.**

**H x**

* * *

**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter 9**

Susan moved to the cabin, thinking over the words she had said to the Captain. She didn't know where they had come from if she was honest, and yet they were her words and words she'd been thinking. She needed to hold onto family. She just needed to decide if he was family.

Susan stopped, just behind the Doctor, and gazed around. There was something wrong. Something…not right, which she supposed was the very definition of wrong and yet her mind still commentated. She shivered.

"Doctor?" She whispered and he turned, just as Amy came into the room as well. He had also noticed it, and motioned them, before looking ahead.

"Shush." He said. Amy craned her neck, puzzled.

"What can you see?" Amy asked, but then Susan's shushed her, walking forwards so she was next to him, staring through the broken glass and out to sea.

"Feels like something's out there, staring straight at me." The Doctor said, slowly, gazing ahead.

"I know." Susan uttered. Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the hull, the boat giving a creak and the Doctor looked up at the ceiling, knowing a fork of lightening was most likely illuminating the sky. Susan looked up and around as well before hurrying to the open door and seeing the beginnings of a storm. She set a petrified glance to her grandfather, who looked equally worried.

"Man the sails!" He roared, pulling himself, Amy and Susan out into the raging winds. Susan saw Avery up on the rigging, Rory already at the stern of the ship as Amy rushed over. Rain lashed down on them all and it took seconds for Susan to get soaked; her hair clinging to her face in dreads.

"To the rigging, you dogs! Let go the sails. Avast ye!" Avery shouted at them all. Susan had a split second of confusion before rushing over to help the Ponds, who ran to the ropes for the sails. This was so not Treasure Planet. "Put the bunt into the slack of the clews!"

Susan turned to them, gasping as the cold wind bit at her face. "I swear he's making half this stuff up!" Susan looked over as Rory roared back to the Captain, something about a phrase book, and saw the Doctor attempting to steer the boat, but a cold feeling that wasn't the wind or rain, told her they would be stuck. She scrambled over, holding onto anything she could and fought her way to the Doctor, grasping to at the slick wood of the wheel, trying to turn her bow on to the storm.

Susan grunted with the effort, only making out echoes of the shouts of the Captain.

"Toby! Find my coat. My compass is inside it, boy." Susan saw the boy out of the corner of her eyes. "Heave ho, you bilge rats." Susan looked back at the Captain.

"SHUT IT WITH THE INSULTS!" She yelled over the roar of the wind, thoroughly sick of pirates.

"Rats was all I could hear." Rory cried, swinging from the ropes. Susan heard a clatter and the Doctor turned, tugging on Susan's arm as he gaped. Susan managed to heave her tiny body to the other side of the wheel, so as she faced the rest of them, in time to see a crown rolling along the deck.

"No…" She whispered under her breath as the rain began to coat it with a gleaming reflection of the wooden planks. She held onto the boom of a sail as the green figure of the Siren appeared from the gold. Susan let out a yell, and tried to force her way forward, to get to Toby but the Doctor grabbed her, their combined weight making them fall back against the wheel. She fought against him, hearing Avery cry out over the Siren's song.

"Don't let her take you!" Toby held out a hand to the Siren and Avery launched forwards, shouting but it was too late and Toby was gone with a scream. "No!"

"Toby!" Susan broke free of the Doctor's arms as he leaps forwards and throws the crown overboard. The Siren disappears. Avery is a mess on the deck

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He mutters, his mouth full of rainwater. Susan blinked rapidly, the mixture of tears and rain in her eyes as she pushed forwards onto the main deck.

"You couldn't give up the gold, could you? That's why you turned pirate. Your commission, your wife, your son!" Susan roared at the man, wanting nothing more than to throw the useless man overboard. She started to go towards the fallen man but the Doctor grabbed her, pulling her back and she shrugged him off. "Just how much is that treasure worth to you?" Susan seethed, screaming at the man. Toby was a boy. A boy. Barely lived and now his father had sold him over for trinkets.

Suddenly, a yell was heard and Susan spun round to see Amy running to the railings, gazing down. Susan looked and saw the white foam of a splash. Rory.

"Rory! Rory!" Amy yelled, looking frantically at the raging sea. Susan's blood turned to ice. He'd drown. "I can't see him. Doctor? I'm going in." Amy yelled, starting to take her coat off. At the same instant, Susan and the Doctor moved to prevent her, the Doctor tugging her coat on and Susan looking down, holding onto the side of the ship, trying to see Rory.

"He's drowning. He's drowning! You go in after him, you'll drown too. There's only one thing that can save him now." The Doctor yelled, holding Amy back and looking into her face, trying to make her listen. Susan looked up sharply; surely not.

"What are you talking about?" Amy yelled but Susan answered.

"The Siren. The Siren, she wants him." The Doctor gave a weary arm over at her, reinforcing her point before looking back at Amy, explaining, pleading.

"We have to release her." He pulled at Amy, who fought every step but Susan grabbed her as well, climbing back down to the main deck.

"Doctor, no!" Amy protested. The Doctor got out his sonic, passing it to Susan, clumsily as he held Amy back whilst getting Avery. Susan half ran, half skidded to a fresh water barrel, sonicing it and opening the lid. Instantly the Siren flew outwards.

"He's drowning. Go and find him!" The Doctor asks, and the Siren obliges, diving into the sea.

"What, what did you do?" Amy said rounding on the Doctor but Susan closed the lid, handing the sonic back to him and wiping the hair from her face.

"If he stays in there he'll die." She explained.

"But she'll destroy him."

"That thing isn't just a ravenous hunter. It's intelligent. We can reason with it." Susan told her.

"And maybe, just maybe, they're still alive somewhere. We have to follow." The Doctor said, trying to get his point across, for once agreeing. If they had any chance of getting them alive, they had to. Avery obviously didn't think so.

"Are you mad?" Avery asked over the howls of wind. Susan nodded slightly, after all that much was true but the Captain was focused on the other.

"If we ever want to see them again, we have to let the Siren take us. We'll prick our fingers. All agreed? Yeah?" Susan thought it was a stupid plan. So stupid, it may work. Oh, let it be one of those plans that doesn't end with their deaths!

Two ayes came from Amy and Avery before the Doctor turned to Susan. She nodded, calling up her voice.

"Aye." She agreed and the Doctor nodded, giving one final aye of confirmation, he takes a needle and drew blood from each of them. The black spot appeared on each of their palms and the Siren appears.

Susan felt a weight lifting off of her, like all her troubles did not exist as she clambered towards the woman, who was not a demon or killer, but beautiful and safe. The Doctor, Amy and Avery went as well, stretching out their palms as they touch the siren, one by one in a flash of bright light.

Susan awoke to her body being shaken; she opened her eyes confused and thankful that they were still alive, and saw that the hand on her shoulder was her grandfathers, who lay next to her. She was still soaked, but the room was dry and grey.

"Where are we?" She heard Amelia ask, as Susan sat up, clutching her pounding head.

"We haven't moved. We're in exactly the same place as before." The Doctor replied. Something in his tone made Susan turn and she saw what they were looking at and gasped. The window showed the ship, in the heart of the storm, where they were but…not. Susan stood up fully, and moved closer.

"We're on a ghost ship." Avery said but Susan shook her head, not tearing her gaze from the window, almost smiling at the brilliance of it all.

"No…no, temporal rift, two slots filled." She explained but Amy gave a noise behind her that suggested she was really confused.

"It's real. Space ship trapped in a temporal rift as Susan said." The Doctor confirmed.

"How can two ships be in the same place?" Amy asked, sort of in awe as the three went to stand near Susan.

"Not the same. Two planes, two worlds, two cars parked in the same space. There are lots of different universes nested inside each other. Now and again they collide, and you can step from one to the other." He rambled slightly, his tone portraying the wonder he felt. Amy nodded next to him

"Okay, I think I understand."

"Good, because it's not like that at all. But if that helps." He said, with a ghost of a smile. Susan rolled her eyes, less hatred now more…endearment and she caught herself, focusing on the problem at hand.

"Thanks." Amy said, fiercely. Susan patted Amy's arm, leaning in to whisper.

"It is like that. He's lying. He does that." She said, with a hint of resentment. Amy looked at her and gave a small smile.

"Thanks." But the Doctor was still in his own little world.

"All the reflections have suddenly become gateways." He looks around, fervently, and picks up a piece of metal, throwing it at the window. It gives a zap of noise before going through and clattering onto the deck.

"Ever look in a mirror and think you're seeing a whole other world? Well, this time it's not an illusion." He said dramatically. Susan gave a small chuckle, unable to take it seriously. Then a low beep, beep rang out and Susan looked around, before it clicked in her mind.

"The signal." She concluded.

"Yes." The Doctor made his way up the stairs, Susan following.

"The distress call!" She confirmed with a grin, glad to have worked it out. Oh, she had thought something was up. 17th century of course there was another ship!

"Uh huh." The Doctor was distracted, moving up and looking at something.

"There was a second ship here all the time." Amy realized. The ominous sounds of the siren singing could now be heard as they reached a door.

"And the Siren is on board." He presses a panel and the door opens. Susan leapt back as they come face to face with an alien skeleton, its skull long and slender. Avery pulls his gun out of reflex and the Doctor pushes it down, out of reflex.

"Dead."

They make their way past the skeleton, to the bridge, the pilot room filled with navigational equipment, dials and scanners. Susan moves forwards, and looks in the seat. More crew, dead, meet her eyes and her eyes soften sadly.

"You were right. There was something staring at us the whole time. How long has this ship been marooned here?" Amy marvelled. The Doctor looked up, examining his own skeleton, covered in thick goo.

"Long enough for the Captain to have run out of grog." Avery commented. Amy shook her head.

"I don't understand. If this is the Captain, then what's the Siren?"

"Could be the same as us. A stowaway." Susan reasoned, thinking it through. It was possible. The Doctor got out his sonic.

"She killed it." Amy concluded, but the sonic gave a buzz and the Doctor held it up in the dim light, looking at the readings.

"Human bacteria." He read. Susan looked up and frowned.

"What?" She asked. That didn't make sense. Ok, ok, so the Siren didn't kill them, if it was human bacteria then- "A virus from your planet. Airborne, travelling through the portal. That's what killed them." She thought out loud. The Doctor gave a small chuckle.

"Didn't get its jabs." He joked but his 'jabs' was prolonged as he leant against the console. He let out a groan, Susan heard a squelch and he held up his hand, which had unfortunately been covered in the slime. "Urgh. Look."

"What is it?" Amy asked, confused and grossed out.

"Sneeze! Alien bogies." He groaned, unsure what to do, he walks forward and flicks his hand, some of the slime flying away before he wiped it on Susan's coat sleeve.

"Thanks." Susan said, stony. He flashed her raised eyebrows and a small smile, walking past and on into the ship.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter 10**

They found themselves in a sterile room, full of hovering platforms with laid bodies on them, all hooked up. It was a sort of sickbay. The Doctor was immediately scanning around with the sonic as Susan and the others looked around and at the men.

"McGrath! He's one of my men." Avery pointed at one, sleeping on the beds. Susan could hear various machines beeping, almost sounding like…life support. She looked around, twirling on her heels to take in every inch. Why take the injured to kill them? She's not killed them. So, why wait? Susan was brought out of her thoughts by conversation.

"He's still breathing." Amy said, checking.

"My entire crew is here." Then Avery stopped and ran to a bed, shouting. "Toby!" Susan swerved to look and saw an unconscious Toby on a bed. It was a split second later that she heard Amy cry out.

"Rory!"

"The TARDIS!" The Doctor shouted in glee, pressing up against the box in a rather awkward sort of hug like movement. Susan looked around as each checked the thing that mattered to them, and how they were. She stood in the room, silent, realizing she had no one to run to. No one there, that meant anything to her. She felt out of place. She cleared her throat and walked over to Avery and Toby, hoping the boy was alright and she spoke as she walked.

"We have to get them out of here."

"Wait." The Doctor walked over, once again scanning the boy with his sonic. He checked the results and frowned "His fever's gone." He moved over to Rory, Susan following, looking at Rory intently. He seemed fine.

"He looks so well." Amy said, and Susan nodded, reading the results.

"She's keeping him alive." She said, with a gasp of surprise. "His brain is still active, but all its cellular activity is suspended." The Doctor went around to Rory's other side, grasping his hand and comparing it to a card. Susan craned her neck.

"It's not a curse, it's a tissue sample." The Doctor mused, looking at the card showing a similar spot. "Why get samples of people you are about to kill?"

"What if she does not want to kill them?" Susan thought out loud and the Doctor shot her a small smile and raised eyebrows, thinking it over.

"Help me get him up?" Amy asked the Doctor, and together they began to lift Rory. Then the beeping got louder and the singing starter.

"She's coming." The Doctor said in a hurried and frantic whisper, pulling Susan behind a bank of monitors along with Amy and Avery. She looks through to see between the sheets of sheer plastic, looking as the Siren floats in, singing her wordless song and goes to Rory.

"Look." Susan whispered in awe as the Siren seems to make Rory calm down, his fit subsiding. "Anaesthetic."

"What?" asked Avery. Susan turned to him, bending down slightly so as to not be seen.

"That music. The song she sings. So she anaesthetises people and puts their body in stasis." Susan turns back, a smile on her face. Oh, so clever. Brilliant, The Doctor looks on; proud she worked it out and watching as the Siren goes to the other men. The Siren floats to Toby. Susan catches Avery move out of the corner of her eye.

"Avery, no!" The Doctor and Susan yell as Avery shoots at the Siren, who turns a violent red. Red, that was new, Susan thought. They both run out, Susan shooting back a hand to tell Amy to stay put as the Siren advances on Avery. Suddenly, the Doctor sneezes. The Siren turned to them, a glowing fire emanating from her hands now.

"Fire. That's new. What does fire do? Burn? Yes. Destroy? What else?" He rambled and Susan hissed at him.

"Sterilise!"

"Ah, yes. I sneezed. I've brought germs in." The Doctor blew his noise on a handkerchief before he threw the handkerchief on the floor. The Siren blasted the article with fire, sending it into ash. Amy ran to Rory.

"Amy, stop. Don't interfere. Don't touch him. Anaesthetic, tissue sample, screen, sterile working conditions. Ignore all my previous theories!" He warned her, trying to think. But he couldn't. Amy was fed up, just wanting her husband back.

"Yeah? Well, we stopped paying attention a while back." Amy said, sternly as the Doctor paced. Susan looked around, thinking herself. Sterile. Keeping them alive. Oh, so simple. She yelled out to them all.

"She's not a killer at all, she's a doctor!" The Doctor looked up at Susan, the realization dawning on all of them as Amy stopped fiddling with Rory's life support. The Siren turned green and Susan turned to her, marvelling. "This is an automated sick bay. The crew are dead, and so the sick bay has had nothing to do. It's been looking after humanity whilst it's been idle, teleporting the crew on board to heal them." Susan said, eyes growing wider as she comprehended it all. "Look at her. A virtual doctor able to sterilise a whole room."

Amy was less impressed. "Able to burn your face off." But the Doctor joined in finally getting it all and being equally impressed as Susan.

"She's just an interface, seeped through the join between the planes, broadcast in our world. Protean circuitry means she can change her form, and become a human doctor for humans. Oh, sister, you are good."

Amy went to free her husband again but the Siren screeched once more, causing them all to back off. "She won't let us take them." Avery said.

"She's keeping them alive, but she doesn't know how to heal them." The Doctor told them, starting to look worried again.

"Different biological structure to the crew. Face it, one cold wiped them out, she has no idea how to treat any of this. She can just help." Susan explained, her own face contorting with concern for Toby and Rory, for the rest of the crew.

"I'm his wife, for God's sake. Why can't I touch him?" Amy spoke. The Doctor faced her, struck with an idea.

"Tell her, Amy. Show her your ring. She may be virtual but she's intelligent. You can't do anything without her consent. Come on. Sophisticated girl like you. That must be somewhere in your core program."

"Look, he's very ill, okay? I just want to look after him. Why won't you let me near my husband?" She asked the Siren tentatively. Slowly, the Siren held out a hand, a band of white light appearing around it. The Doctor told Amy what to do.

"Consent form. Sign it. Put your hand in the light. Rory's sick. You have to take full responsibility." He explained. Amy placed her hand in the light and the Siren disappeared. They quickly turn off whatever is attached to Rory but he convulses. Susan tries to hold him down, soothe him as he fits.

"He can't breathe. Turn it back on!" She cries and Amy switches it on, Rory returning to a peaceful manner, breathing normally. Amy is looking stricken and Susan cannot think of a single thing to help her, she hated feeling useless.

"What do we do? I can't just leave him here." Amy asked, fear in her voice. Susan rubbed her face, tired, but answered clearly.

"He'll die if you take him out."

"Rory? Rory, wake up." Amy calls to him quietly. He grunts, slowly coming around and Susan cannot help but smile slightly at that; for a moment.

"Where am I?" Rory asked, dazed. Susan kept closer. The Doctor and Amy on one side, Susan on the other, surrounding him.

"You're in a hospital. If you leave, you might die." The Doctor whispered, his voice almost trembling.

"But if you don't, you'll have to stay forever." Susan added. She hadn't spoken much to Rory, the quiet man who seemed to have an ounce of common sense and had cared for her when she first came. Now he was lying down, and would die if he ever got back up.

"You're saying that if I don't get up now…"

"You can never leave." Amy finished, regretfully.

"The Siren will keep you safe." The Doctor assured his friend, consoling him with facts.

"And if I come with you?" Susan knew Rory already knew the answer.

"Rory…you'll be drowning." She answered simply, hating it with every fibre of her being. Rory was a good guy. Good guys shouldn't die. Not like that. Rory took a shuddering gasp, trying to come to terms with it. Then he looked at Amy.

"I'm a nurse." He stated. He was? Susan thought. Amy was confused however.

"What?"

"I can teach you how to save me."

"Whoa. Hold on." Amy said, panicking, unsure where it was going and yet she had enough of inkling that it frightened her. But Rory continued with quick succession.

"I was drowning. You just have to resuscitate me."

"Just?"

"You've seen them do it loads of times in films. CPR. The kiss of life."

"Rory, this isn't a film, okay? What if I do it wrong?" Amy was trembling furiously and Susan had to look away, to walk away. She knew how Amy felt, to feel powerless to stop your loved ones die. Or to have it all rest on your shoulders with no way out. She couldn't watch. She walked over to Captain Avery, close to tears, and gave a consoling smile at the Captain, before looking at Toby, walking slowly to his bed and pressing a hand on his face, wiping away the still damp strands of hair on his face. So young. He had had so much to look forward to. And now he was stuck. Even if they broke him free it'd only be days till the fever took him.

She hears footsteps and knows it's the Doctor, who begins to talk to Avery in a low voice. "We have to send this ship back into space. Imagine if the Siren got ashore. She would have to process every injured human."

"What about Toby?" Susan looked away and to the boy, shaking her head slightly in sorrow.

"I'm sorry. Typhoid fever. Once he returns it's only a matter of time." The Doctor told him in a whisper , looking down.

"What if I stay with him, here. The Siren will look after him." Avery asks and Susan feels her hearts surge with the prospect of hope. "I can't go back to England. And what home does he have now, if not with me?" This was the man who wished to send him back to England. Things can suddenly change. Even when you least expect it.

"Do you think you can sail this thing?" The Doctor asked with a sheepish smile.

"Just point me to the atom accelerator." Apparently an inside joke as Susan looked on puzzled. The Doctor gives a chuckle and leaves to go back to Rory's side. Susan gives the Captain a tap to her head as a salute.

"Keep a tight ship, Captain." She said simply and with a smile. "Glad to see you're not letting go." Avery nods and looks back over to his son. Susan then hears the frantic beeping of the machine and spins to see Amy and The Doctor ripping off Rory's restraints as he struggled to breath. Susan's hearts lurch as she runs quickly over to the TARDIS, grabbing the key from around her neck and jamming it into the lock, her hands shaking. She opens it just in time for Amy and the Doctor, carrying Rory, to hurry through and place Rory on the floor of the TARDIS. Susan slams the door shut before running over to their side as Amy begins CPR.

"Come on. Come on, Rory. Not here. Not this way. Not today." The Doctor tells the lifeless figure as Amy perseveres. Susan can do nothing but watch, biting her lips as she fights back tears. He has to make it.

"He trusted me. He trusted me to save him." Amy whimpers as she tries to continue. Susan goes to her side as the Doctor looks on, grabbing Amy's back and patting it, trying to help his friend.

"Amy, you can do this. Trust me just try!" Susan urged.

"He believes in you. Come on, Amy. Come on!" The Doctor encourages as Amy lets out wails of grief, summoning up determination.

"Please, please, please wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Come on. Come on." She stops as the emotions come over her as she cries against him. Amy leant back, shock over coming her that she couldn't do anything. Rory was gone. There were a few silent moments, the Doctor offering a hand to comfort Amy, but she looked broken. Susan watched with a sadness before closing her eyes in defeat, pain clinching at her waist that made her want to bend over and be sick. Not Rory. Why Rory?

Then, out of the silence, came a cough and another and Susan opened her eyes to see Rory spluttering and coughing against the floor. He was alive. Alive.

"Amy. Amy, you did it. You did it!" The couple embraced. Susan gave a shuddering sigh of relief and the Doctor got up, expressing his own relief. Susan got up as well and walked over to him, he didn't face her. Overcome with happiness at Rory's survival, she hugged her Grandfather.

Susan tightened her hold over her grandfather and he was in shock for a few moments before tightly returning it, glad to have her in his arms. His Susan. He had come so close to losing it all today, all of them had but they were safe. All of them safe.

The hug seemed to last forever, each group in their own little spaces, the Doctor and Susan finally reaching an understanding. The hug came them comfort, consolation and told each other they were not alone. Not anymore.

Later on, Susan rubbed her eyes, suddenly tired; the adrenaline was dissipating and she now had to listen to her own thoughts. She'd have to leave soon. Had to. She looked up from her beige seat she'd woken in the first time, to see Rory and Amy walking up the TARDIS stairs to their bedroom, most likely.

"I thought I was an excellent pirate." Amy commented, her arm looped around her husband.

"I thought you were an excellent nurse."

"Easy, tiger." She flirts before turning to the Doctor from the top. "Goodnight, Doctor."

"Goodnight, Amelia."

"You only call me Amelia when you're worrying about me."

"I always worry about you."

"Mutual."

"Go to bed, Pond." He said with a small smile, before returning to the screen. The Ponds stay there for a moment, whispering and Susan looks up curious. Rory catches her gaze and hurries Amy along. She dismissed it and stretched, got up, walking over.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, peering at the screen, only able to see a flash of a skeletal structure before he switches it off.

"Nothing." He replied swiftly. Susan yawned, she couldn't ask him to drop her off now, she was too tired, and wanted to say goodbye properly. They should have a proper goodbye this time. A final goodbye. So she walked up to the console and her grandfather who was adjusting the screen with a worried face. She put a hand on his arm and he switched it off. She didn't need to know, it didn't concern her at all and he didn't even know if it was true.

"I'm going to bed as well." Susan spoke softly. He looked over at her, so young, yet so old. Her eyes more strained than ever he saw them before. She had grown up so much. And he had barely seen a fraction of it.

"You don't wanted dropping off…wherever it is you live?" He didn't even know where she did live, perhaps Earth, still? It hadn't occurred to ask. Susan shook her head with a small and tired smile.

"I want a sleep, so if you've got any spare rooms then I'll take one of those." Susan said. The Doctor turned to face her fully, flipping the last switch on the console. He had a thought, an idea and grinned.

"No, I have just the perfect room." He said and motioned for Susan to follow him down a corridor. She gave him a bemused look before following.

It was in this moment, as she followed him round the many grey and gold TARDIS corridors, she had time to think and to look at her grandfather. 11th. That's what Amelia had said, back in the hold of that ship. She looked at is face through the corner of her eye and saw his eyes. So old. So many memories hidden in the hazel depths.

It was in that moment, she wondered. She wondered if she knew him at all now.

They wandered like this, the Doctor slightly in front, leading her, a small smile etched on his face. She was going to like it. He thought she was. She was. Yes, she was, he thought to himself. Finally, Susan let out a sigh.

"We have been wandering for hours." She groaned, making the Doctor chuckled. Timelords, or ladies, were never the most patient of lot- that's why they invented time travel. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze as she pouted.

"Don't pout, it's been 15 minutes." He teased, and marked where they were. Nearly there, it was near the library, he remembered. Susan gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"You're one to talk. Marco Polo, you were so grumpy for that journey!" This made the Doctor laugh, that had been so, so long ago. More than 700 years, or was it 800? He forgot, that was how old he was. But he remembered that, stuck on a rickety cart that towed the TARDIS along.

"I rather was, wasn't I?" He mused. The Doctor and his Granddaughter turned a corner and he spotted the door, giving a gleeful tug on Susan's hand so that they reached it quicker. "Ah, ha! Here we are!"

Susan switched her gaze from her grandfather to the door in curiosity and gasped. No. Not after all this time. "Oh." She uttered, and the Doctor gave her a gleeful look. It was a plain door, simply marked with a label: Susan. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and stepped inside with a swing of the door.

The walls were that of the old console room, round things sprawling a pattern on the walls and providing storage, she knew many opened outwards to reveal cupboards. But her eyes trailed upwards as a polyholigraph made her ceiling not there at all, instead was a projection of the red skies of Gallifrey, with the Medusa Cascade in the distance and stars littering the auburn night. She remembered reading a story to her son, back on Earth, back when he was young. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It was like the Great Hall. The book had been banned a few years later as it had suggested other worlds, and therefore aliens. Earth had been on lockdown before the Daleks invaded again.

She was brought out of her thoughts by her grandfather. "What do you think?" He asked, in hopeful anticipation. She looked at him, and saw the smile. She couldn't help but give a small one back.

"This is my room. My old room…I thought…" She stared around in wonder as the Doctor leant back on the door frame.

"That the TARDIS would delete it? No. I made sure." He said softly. He'd always kept this room, a reminder. A memory and a precious one at that.

"We are going to have to talk about it, you know." Susan said, sitting down on the bed, tugging at the hem of her top. The Doctor was silent for a few moment s and Susan looked up towards him.

"I know but…for now…sleep." He said, steadily. Susan nods.

"Goodnight…" She paused before letting out a sigh and a small smile. "Grandfather."

"Goodnight, Susan." The Doctor said with a grin. Grandfather. She'd called him Grandfather. It wasn't total forgiveness but it was a start, and a name he hadn't heard in a long time. The word s was like a comfort blanket, calming him and filling him with happiness.

"Grandfather?" Susan asked, hesitant. The Doctor blinked, coming out of his thoughts.

"Susan?"

"There's one more place…I'd like to go…" She continued and the Doctor perked up. She wanted to stay?

"Of-Of course! Where?" He asked eagerly.

"Home." Susan stated simply.

"Home?" The Doctor frowned in confusion, his mood dampening slightly. Did she mean her home now? Was it a ploy? She wanted to leave, that was it. Susan took a deep breath and waited, biting her lip as she gave a hesitant smile.

"Gallifrey."

The Doctor could say nothing. He merely nodded, and left, closing the door.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**And we have another chapter!**

* * *

**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 11**

The Doctor closed the door of Susan's room and exhaled. He padded back to the console room and set the TARDIS to send them into deep space, wanting to go somewhere vast. Not constrained. Somewhere plain, somewhere where he could sit with his thoughts.

They arrived, quietly, the TARDIS knowing he wanted to be alone now. He walked over to the doors and opened them, before hopping down and sitting on the ledge with a heaving sigh. He looked out, among the stars and the expanse.

He should've told her. That was the moment. Susan, there was a war….Susan, we can't go back…Susan, I'm sorry. So may ways to tell her but he couldn't. He bottled it up.

After 10 minutes, just staring, and thinking about the mess he was in, he heard footsteps and turned, standing back up to see Amy, her hair up and nighty donned, walking down the steps. Amy walked over to the Doctor, who in turn wandered to the console.

"Doctor?" She asked, tentatively. He was imputing something into the TARDIS. He didn't look up as he answered.

"You should be in bed, Pond." He replied, lightly. Amy needed his attention, and put a hand on his arm. He looked up and saw her worried face. "Pond?"

"Something's bugging me." The Doctor turned to her at this, face growing concerned. He said nothing and she ploughed on. "Susan. She said you could find other Timelords. But, you said there were none."

"Yes…I did." He knew where the conversation was going and he didn't want to have it. Amy looked at the Doctor, trying to gauge his emotions, but he was a hard man to know how he was feeling. But it was evident; Susan didn't know about his planet. Hell, Amy didn't know half of it. But unlike Susan, it didn't concern her. Amelia took a deep breath.

"You're going to have to tell her." The Doctor grew uncomfortable and he looked away, fiddling to keep himself busy.

"I...I know." He answered. He had to tell her, she had to know but he couldn't tell her. Not now, not when they'd finally met again, not when he was getting their relationship back on track.

"Now." Amy pressed. She hated seeing her best friend torn, knowing how he got when he got emotional and knowing how he preferred to lie and preferred to hide.

"No, I'll wait." He said, with a wave of his hand, still not looking at her.

"Take it from me, waiting sucks. Just tell her."

"I will." He affirmed, wanting nothing more than for Amelia to drop the subject.

"She needs to know." She pressed and the Doctor hissed in a breath, and turned to the red haired woman, leaning on the console with a steady hand.

"Why? Why can't she leave in blissful ignorance?" She was going to go anyway, he could visit. Yes, he could visit. If she didn't want to travel, that's fine. He could come and have a cup of tea at her house, take her only on trips for her birthday; actually celebrate her birthday. She didn't need to go anywhere. She didn't need to know, from his point of view. Amy, however, did not feel the same and fixed the Timelord with a glare, knowing it was the only way to get through to him.

"Because that's a stupid idea and you don't want her to leave. Would you rather she hears it from you or someone else?" She told him and the Doctor paused, the slight anger he had felt disappeared and he looked downwards at his boots.

"Me...me, of course."

"So tell her." Amy said, with a gentle tone.

"Amelia, if I tell her that her whole planet is gone, partially down to me...she'll hate me. Even more than she does. I can't lose her again, I just got her back. She's started to forgive me, Amy." He implored. Amy shook her head and turned away. She plodded back up the stairs, leaving the Timelord to his own thoughts. She turned at the top of the stairs and he looked up at her. Her lips twitched into a faint smile, sad eyes.

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Raggedy Man."

Susan woke up, blinking and shielding her eyes from the light. Susan woke up, blinking slightly. Why was it so light? Her eyes then adjusted and it came back to her. TARDIS. Grandfather. Ah. She sat up and looked towards her ceiling which now displayed an Earth sky. She smiled and went over to her wardrobe. Her back ached and she realised she was still in her clothes from their adventure; half damp and not smelling the freshest.

She opened her wardrobe and smiled when she saw the TARDIS had stocked up, a good thing as her old outfits wouldn't fit her now; she was taller and…a different person.

"Thanks, dear." She said the empty room around her. She pulled out navy dress with long sleeves and an elasticated waist. Putting it on, she found it came to her knees and came with a black patent waist belt. It was also decorated with tiny pandas. She thought it was quirky.

After a shower, she put it on and dried her hair, letting the chestnut locks fall down her back. Whistling, she decided it was time to face them all. She'd prepared herself for the questions she knew she'd face, from each of them. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door and she walked over and opened it. There stood her grandfather, donned still in his jacket and bowtie, still red, but a different shirt.

"Ah! Susan! I was about to check on you." He said cheerily, splaying his hands out, the only betrayal of his nervousness. "The Ponds' made breakfast! Well, I say that, Rory made breakfast. It's great though, and so are the Ponds! I wondered if you would join us?" He asked, looking eager. Susan replied with an easy smile.

"Of course, Grandfather." She said, and his smile grew wider and he held out the crook of his elbow. She took it, and they walked along the corridors, all the way to the kitchen. Amy was sitting down, a cup of tea in her hands, her hair up and out of the way, but fully dressed in what Susan was now beginning to think was a trade mark short skirt and plaid shirt. Her husband was just plating up, he was dressed in jeans and a brown shirt with a navy puffed vest. They both looked up as she entered with the Doctor.

"Ah, Ponds! Susan's up. Awake!" He jovially said to them, grabbing hot plates of eggs and bacon, holding them as if he were an expert waiter, juggling four of them, two on each arm. It was a miracle how he didn't drop them. But he didn't and placed them on the table. Susan sat down, as did the Doctor.

"Susan?" Susan looked up at Rory. He looked better, for which she was thankful.

"Yes?"

"Do you want a drink?" He asked, with an easy smile. She got up immediately, partially due to habit; doing everything for herself, and also wanting not to be a burden. The Doctor looked up from his eggs, yolk staining the edge of his mouth as he watched his granddaughter, protective. But she only nodded towards Rory.

"No, it's ok, I will do it." She answered.

"Your eggs?" He asked, not wanting them to get cold for her. He liked Susan, however briefly they had talked, and he was a nurse. He wanted to care for her; he had always cared about people. Her story had only fuelled this. Susan waved a hand.

"It's ok." She busied herself as the Ponds and the Doctor all tucked in. She grew uncomfortable in the silence as she got out a mug (blue and white striped). "You know, ever since I regenerated, I pretty much always want hot chocolate. Whatever time of the day. With milk. Not water. The water stuff is…not nice." She got the necessary items and set the milk on, in the microwave. She made her hot chocolate and sat back down, taking a sit. The warm, rich liquid made her more awake before she was painfully aware of the silence. She peeked at the Doctor, who was now focusing on his bacon, and then realized that he hated the stuff, and promptly spat it out, pulling a face.

Susan choked on her hot chocolate, looking at his face, laughing despite herself. Amy looked up from her tea, and saw the Doctor, and began laughing as well. Soon they all were laughing and chatting away about various things; from hot chocolate to short skirts.

"-Oi!" Amy was laughing. The food was eaten and the group were now in a comfortable banter. "My skirts are a fine length!" She argued, her eyes still portraying the teasing tone. "Tell 'em, Rory!" She said, turning to her husband.

"Yeah! Her skirts are fine- great, actually." He said, nodding. Susan gave a laugh and the Doctor shot her an appalled look at her apparent grasping of the insinuation.

A few hours later, after they had all eaten and the Ponds had gone back to their room, Susan wanted to see where her Grandfather was. She went through the corridors to where the console room was and found herself…in the library.

"Not here, old girl. Console Room." She said to the air, and doubled back, finding herself…in the library again. She frowned. "You really want me in here…why?" She took a step forward, into the vast library. She saw old Gallifreyan encyclopaedias, all bottled up neatly on rows. The sheer volume of the library took her breath away; she'd always loved books and it seemed he had had added to his collection. "What is it you want me in here for?" She listened for the tell-tale hum of an answer but none came so she shrugged and walked out. Great, an enigmatic time machine.

She wandered more before finally finding the console room.

"What are you up to?" She asked, seeing him with his jacket off, his goggles on, swinging underneath on a leather swing, and tool belt around his middle as he fiddled with wires. He looked away at her voice, flipping of his goggles so that they rested on his forehead, his bright eyes lighting up as he saw her.

"Oh. Just tinkering." He said, smiling. Susan walked down the stairs towards him, and looked around, at the various wires and tools strewn across the floor.

"Can I help?" She asked, remembering some of the Academy lessons she had had before being whisked away in a capsule. He jumped off the swing. He went over to a corridor, and Susan angled her head to see where he was off to but he was back before she could say where's he got to now?

He was back, and carrying a bundle of leather and metal. She looked at it curiously, stepping out of his way as he walked over to underneath the console, in the menagerie of wires and tubes. He flashed her an excited yet jittery grin. He was nervous. He hoped she liked it.

"Now, it may be a little big." He warned as he clipped a couple of hooks to the underside of the console. She frowned. What on Earth was he doing?

He finished setting it up and turned to Susan, spreading his arms out and giving a hopeful grin. "Ta Da!" Susan gave a gasp.

It was a seat. Her own seat. More elegant than the Doctor's yet aged as well; worn. It was had a hard seat with a padded cushion on top, Hung with contemporary metal rods, a swing wood seat with a soft, padded cushion. It was perfect. Not the Doctor. Definitely Susan.

She launched at her Grandfather, giving him a hug. He grunted with the force before wrapping his arms around her, glad she was happy. It made him feel better as well. Then they let go, and sat on their swings. The Doctor passed her a screwdriver, not sonic, and they began working, silently and contentedly.

It was around 10 minutes; they heard the shuffling of the Ponds. Amy and Rory came down, sitting on the stairs and looking at them. They looked as if they were two peas in the pod; Susan having rolled her sleeves up, long hair in a ponytail and the Doctor had reapplied his glasses.

Amy chuckled and pulled Rory back up, not disturbing them but after a while, they finished up and went up to the main console. Amy was in the process of telling Rory of an adventure. The Doctor smiled at them both, Susan glanced at him with sparkling eyes, full of glee. He returned it with a smile of his own, before turning his attention to what Amy was saying.

"-And then we discovered it wasn't the Robot King after all, it was the real one. Fortunately, I was able to re-attach the head." He finished with raised, pulling on his jacket and walking around to where they were. Rory just shook his head.

"Should I actually believe this?" He asked to his wife. She rolled her eyes, almost reluctant.

"I was there." She answered, as the Susan in question went over to her grandfather. She needed to go now.

Just then, the TARDIS started to let out a small and repeated blinking as lights flashed. Susan walked around to the console, looking, the Doctor not far behind.

"Those are the warning lights." She stated, looking at them. The Doctor huffed in annoyance and tapped the console angrily, yelling over the beeping.

"Oh, I'm getting rid of those. They never stop." He complained, as Rory and Amy went down the stairs. Susan glanced over at them as she attempted to find the root cause of the warning lights, whilst the Doctor just proceeded to kick the console. She caught a little of what they were saying.

"-in the future." Rory was saying in a hushed voice.

"Yes, but it's still going to happen." Amy whispered back in an urgent tone. Susan took a step forwards.

"Is everything ok?" She asked them. She wanted to ask them what they meant, what was going to happen in the future but Amy returned with a nervous smile. Susan was going to elaborate when suddenly there could be heard a 'rat tat a tat tat' on the door of the TARDIS. Susan whirled around and walked slowly over to the Doctor, who was moving towards the door.

"What was that?" Amy asked.

"The door. It knocked." The Doctor replied swiftly, not taking his eyes off of the door. Susan jogged down the steps, moving closer to the door curious.

"Right. We are in deep space." Rory pointed out. The Doctor looked back at Rory.

"Very, very deep." He confirmed. The knock was heard again, more persistent and Susan couldn't help but smile at the prospect of opening that door. The Doctor moved her backwards, and she obliged "And somebody's knocking." Susan stepped back near the umbrella stand as she watched the Doctor open the door slowly. She craned to see what it was and her hearts lept at the sight of a little white box, floating out in space.

"Oh, come here. Come here, you scrumptious little beauty." She heard the Doctor say and he held out a hand. Suddenly, the box flew inside the console room and the Doctor moved back only to be struck in the chest by it.

"Grandfather!" She cried, wincing as he fell but caught the box. She rushed to his side.

"A box?" Rory queried.

"Doctor, what is it?" Amy asked, trying to get a good look at it. Susan stared as the Doctor sat up, holding it in his hands. Her face split into a grin the same as his and they looked at each other as the Doctor spoke.

"I've got mail!"

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**Now reviews:**

**Thegirlwhowaswholocked: You don't have to!...but now you have to wait for Chapter 12...sorry.**

**Abbgy: I will keep writing! Thank you for your support!**

**DanniFielding: I can't wait either! Because it's not written yet! But she'll be...well, I have a basic idea. Love our chats!**

**Animus et Anima: Yes! I did think about doing the whole 'oh hooray i've missed you grandfather' route but I decided that after that time, and certainly what has happened to Susan, which will come to light, in all that time- she'd be a little scared and a little...tense around him.**

**Ok, so this is the start of The Doctor's Wife which I am super excoted about writing! I really hope you like it so far! I looked and I know have 32 followers! This is unreal and it would be lovely to hear from you guys!**

**Heather x**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, here we are again! So glad you are liking my story!**

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**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 12**

Susan took the box from the Doctor's hands and examined it in awe as the Doctor himself bounded towards the console, excited. She walked past him, looking at the snake etched onto the side. She knew what it was. Another Timelord. Oh, _brilliant._

She didn't notice the Doctor's face fall slightly as he looked at Amy, knowing what the red haired girl was thinking, but he busied himself with the console as Susan joined his side quickly.

"What is it?" Rory said, looking at the box in Susan's hand.

"Time Lord emergency messaging system." Susan said plainly, still looking at the box, not quite believing it was there. Amy and Rory looked on confused and the Doctor filled them in, overcome with pure glee.

"In an emergency, we'd wrap up thoughts in psychic containers and send them through time and space. Anyway, there's a Time Lord out there, and it's one of the good ones." He rambled, not even paying attention to half of what he was saying as he bent to input coordinates into the typewriter part of the golden console. Susan threw the box to the Doctor and got the scanner, looking at where he was taking them before imputing things of her own. She was acting like a little girl, bounding over to the console and typing. A Time Lord, a real one. She hadn't seen another Time Lord in over 400 years!

"You said there weren't any other Time Lords left." Rory said confused. Susan looked up. She frowned but kept a slight smile on her face, believing he was joking, believing she heard it wrong. The Doctor also looked up and over to Susan. Was this the moment? No. He couldn't- they were busy, he couldn't possibly.

"What?" She said, confused. She heard it wrong, must've. The Doctor was quick to keep the conversation going however, not wanting Susan to find out, not now. He distracted them by throwing the box to Amy who caught it with a yelp and Susan pushed the thought from her mind, focusing on helping.

"The universe isn't where we're going. See that snake?" He said, straightening up and pointing to the Ourobouros; the snake swallowing its own tail that was detailed into the box. Susan knew it instantly and piped up.

"It's the mark of the Corsair." She answered and the Doctor pointed at her, affirming her statement.

"Fantastic bloke. He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn't feel like himself unless he had the tattoo." He spoke animatedly to the couple before whizzing around the other side of the console. "Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo, she was a bad girl."

Suddenly the console grew hot in Susan's hands and she flinched back just before it sparked in front of her, sending clouds of smoke up as various instruments sparked. She let out a yelp.

"Oh, what is happening?" Rory yelled, bracing himself on the other side of the console, next to the Doctor. Amy herself was holding onto a lever as the TARDIS gave another loud bang.

"We're leaving the universe!" The Doctor roared over the noise.

"How can you leave the universe?" Amy yelled right back.

"With enormous difficulty. Right now I'm burning up TARDIS rooms to give us some welly!" He yelled, tugging on various controls as the ship careered through the universe, right to the edge. Susan hung on as the Doctor made his way over to another set of levers as the TARDIS shook. "Goodbye, swimming pool. Goodbye, scullery." He launched over to the other side, pulled Susan behind him so as she almost crashed into Rory before pulling another lever. "Sayonara, squash court seven."

The TARDIS gave another bang, a thump and a crash before it landed, growing silent. Susan got up off of the floor with a groan as they all did, Amy brushing back her hair and composing herself.

"Okay, okay. Where are we?" She asked.

"Outside the universe, where we've never, ever been." The Doctor replied, not even fighting to keep out the excitement from his voice. Then, all the lights went out and Susan looked around. Something was wrong. She crossed to the dials and tapped them, reading them. The others were also confused.

"Is that meant to be happening?" asked Rory. Susan looked at her grandfather, a mix of horror and confusion passing over her face.

"Grandfather, the power, it's draining. Everything's draining." She whispered, but that was enough. The Doctor's eyes flew wide as he went to the console, where Susan was and started to flip levers and switches; trying to make something work. Not the TARDIS, it couldn't. He was lost with out her.

"But it can't. That's, that's impossible." He said, flustered now as both he and Susan tried desperately to make something work, something to happen. But nothing did. Rory and Amy looked on before an odd noise wailed through the TARDIS.

"What is that?"

"It's as if the Matrix, the soul of the Tardis, has just vanished." The Doctor replied, his face screwed up. Susan stopped and looked around at the empty vessel. It seemed colder now. She never knew how much she'd relied on the TARDIS herself. How much she needed her.

"But, where would it go?" She wondered out loud. But then she shrugged, not ending answering her own question, she bounded over to the doors. "Come on, we'll be able to work it out much better with another Time Lord!" She smiled, hopeful. Another Time Lord. She was so happy; she'd be able to learn new things, useful things or fix that circuit! She could go home. It was fine if her grandfather didn't, the Corsair was a family friend, an old family friend. Hearts in both the right places. Time Lord High Council couldn't stand him either and so one day he'd popped around for tea then popped off again. Her grandfather had told her he'd gone off exploring. It was only a few years later that they did as well.

The Doctor watched cautiously as Susan went out of the TARDIS, and his face fell. Amelia went around to his side as he stood at the foot of the small stairs that lead to the door. Rory went to Amelia's side.

"Raggedy Man…you'd better tell her." She said to him. But he didn't say anything back, choosing to ignore it. He would tell Susan, of course he would. It just had to be at the right time. Yes, the right time. Slowly, he wandered out of the TARDIS, him in front, then Amy, then Rory.

Susan was already exploring the junkyard looking planet. The Doctor looked up to see the rear of a massive spaceship.

"So, what kind of trouble's your friend in?" Amy asked, looking around.

"He was in a bind. A bit of a pickle. Sort of distressed." The Doctor replied, calmly, inspecting the planet. Susan pulled a face at an old Earthen Trolley and a disheveled Akhaten moped. She remembered Akhaten. Nice planet.

"Ah, you can't just say you don't know." Amy teased.

"Oh, no he can't." Susan called from where she was, knowing full well the extent of her grandfather's stubbornness. "That'd be like admitting he's wrong!" The Doctor frowned and tutted, but the playfulness under his big eyes told her he was only messing. She walked over to them as Rory spoke.

"But what is this place? The scrap yard at the end of the universe?" Rory asked.

"Not end of, outside of." Susan answered quickly, remembering what her grandfather had said back in the TARDIS, speaking of the TARDIS, what had happened to her?

"How we can we be outside the universe? The universe is everything." Rory questioned, confused. Susan rolled her eyes.

"Oh, no." She knew what was coming. She'd only known this regeneration for a week and she knew what he was going to say. She folded her arms and sat down in preparation for the metaphor. The Doctor shot her an offended look to which she cheekily grinned back before he straightened his jacket, and put an arm around Rory.

"Imagine a great big soap bubble with one of those tiny little bubbles on the outside." He explained, whilst walking them back to the TARDIS.

"Okay." Rory nodded.

"Well, it's nothing like that." Susan and the Doctor said at the same time, the Doctor in complete seriousness, Susan smirking at his predictability. Well, she certainly retained her sense of humour, thought the Doctor. She shot him a genuine smile and he gave one back. No, he couldn't tell her, she was so happy. But Susan then turned her attention to the TARDIS.

"Oh, Grandfather she's completely drained." Look at her. Susan inspected the TARDIS with a downcast smile, rubbing the box affectionately, vowing she'd find out what was wrong. Amy looked over, closing a broken washing machine with slight puzzlement.

"Wait. So we're in a tiny bubble universe, sticking to the side of the bigger bubble universe?" Amy asked. The Doctor looked back at Amy.

"Yeah." He returned his gaze back to the box, then back at Amy. "No. But if it helps, yes." He said, before looking down at the ground. "This place is full of rift energy. She'll probably refuel just by being here. Now, this place. What do we think, eh?" He picked up a pebble and threw it. "Gravity's almost Earth normal, air's breathable, but it smells like-"

"Armpits." Amy answered, and Susan squinted.

"And Socks."

"Armpits and socks!" The Doctor repeated with an odd sense of triumph. Rory and Amy looked around a makeshift shed, filled with scrap.

"What about all this stuff? Where did this come from?" Rory asked, poking an odd chandelier looking object.

"Well, there's a rift. Now and then stuff gets sucked through it. Not a bubble, a plughole. The universe has a plughole and we've just fallen down it." The Doctor explained. They all then heard shouts and turned to see a woman running toward the Doctor. The Ponds had little time to react but immediately Susan went away from the TARDIS as the woman charged at the Doctor.

"Thief! Thief! You're my thief!" The woman shouted, grappling at the tweed, the Doctor looking very uncomfortable and very confused.

"She's dangerous. Guard yourselves." Another woman called to them. Susan tried to ply the woman off the Doctor but couldn't and stood motionless next to him. The woman seemed confused, dizzy and as the other stranger had said; dangerous.

"Look at you. Goodbye. No, not goodbye, what's the other one?" The woman said, grabbing hold of the Doctor and shaking her head. Then she kissed the Doctor. This made Susan want to yell, laugh and throw up at the same time as she then took action as the Doctor recovered, pushing the woman away firmly. The woman turned to Susan and she saw she wouldn't been pretty in another life; but had an alien air around her that made her odd. She dressed in a tattered gown and her hair was piled on top of her head. The strange woman looked at Susan, and her eyes widened as if Susan was only registering to her just then.

"My Keeper! You keep them!" Susan reeled back as the woman cried out, the two people who had followed her then pulled her back as the mad woman giggled.

"Sorry, what?" Susan asked perplexed. Keeper? Keep them? What? Who? The man in an old uniform stood next to a lady with a painted face and lopsided posture.

"Watch out. Careful. Keep back from her. Welcome, strangers. Lovely. Sorry about the mad person." He said in a droll voice. The Doctor grew concerned and confused, glancing at Susan to make sure she was okay. She nodded as the Ponds came from behind them.

"Why am I a thief? What have I stolen?" The Doctor asked to the strangers, slowly walking towards them and to the left, and grasping Susan's hand. He didn't want her out of his sight, not now. He was wary.

"Me. You're going to steal me. No, you have stolen me. You are stealing me. You both do but you do. Oh tenses are difficult, aren't they?" The woman rattled on, only making them more perplexed. Susan frowned. Sense of time was off; she seemed to know the Doctor, and her. Who was she? An old Timelord? No, Susan would've sensed it. Speaking of which, where were the Time Lords? The Doctor glanced around as the other woman stepped forwards.

"Oh. Oh, we are sorry, my dove. She's off her head. They call me Auntie."

"And I'm Uncle. I'm everybody's Uncle." They both introduced themselves, shaking Susan and the Doctor's hands. Susan then had the sudden urge to wash them. "Just keep back from this one. She bites!" Uncle chuckled.

"Do I? Excellent." The Mad Woman grasped the Doctor's neck and pulled her towards him, biting his ear with such force that he let go of Susan's hand and flailed his arm. The rest of the group cried in uproar as once again, the woman was forced off.

"Ow! Ow!" The Doctor said to reinforce the point and Susan grasped his hand again, throwing a glare at the mad woman.

"Biting's excellent. It's like kissing, only there's a winner." She informed them all, staring off into the distance.

"Leave him alone." Susan said tersely. She didn't care if the woman was mad or not, she was not touching her grandfather again. The woman then turned to Susan, making Susan step back slightly.

"Yes. You will. You did. You are." She said in a clam manner that sent chills down Susan's back. The Doctor squeezed her hand to reassure her. She wouldn't leave. But inside, the Doctor was thinking- she may. If she finds out about Gallifrey. But the woman jumped out of the calm tone into an irritated one. "Oh, tenses again!"

"So sorry. She's doolally." Uncle apologised.

"No, I'm not doolally. I'm, I'm." She struggled with the word. "It's on the tip of my tongue. I've just had a new idea about kissing. Come here, you." She ran for the Doctor again.

"No, Idris, no." Auntie called, pulling back Idris as the Ponds made a protective wall in front of the Doctor, Susan not letting go for anything.

"Oh, but now you're angry. No, you're not. You will be angry." Idris, the mad woman's apparent name, said, with an angle of her head. "The little boxes will make you angry" She said to the Doctor. She turned to look right at Susan, making Susan frown. "The little boxes will make you sad."

"Sorry? The little what? Boxes?" He let go of Susan and pushed in front, slowly approaching Idris.

"Boxes…" Susan whispered. The boxes? TARDISes? No. The Cubes? The Doctor was thinking the same thing but his mind was focused on the other statement the woman had said. _The little boxes will make you sad_. That sounded like a threat to him, and he wouldn't have Susan sad, that alone would make him angry. But Idris took no fear from his stoic expression.

"Oh, ho, no. Your chin is hilarious." She giggled, grasping the Doctor's chin. "It means the smell of dust after rain." Idris stated, looking at Rory.

"What does?" Rory asked, confused.

"Petrichor."

"But I didn't ask."

"Not yet. But you will." Idris told him. Then she turned again to Susan. And you, you are a Rose."

Susan felt her blood run cold. How on Earth did she know that? No one knew that, not anymore. Her name, true name was Arkytior in High Gallifreyian. To the Earth, this meant Rose. The Doctor put an arm in front of Susan, protecting her. He didn't like Idris; he was confused by her and knew too much. Susan faltered out a reply. "Yes- I…"

"No, no, Idris. I think you should have a rest." Auntie cut across.

"Rest. Yes, yes. Good idea. I'll just see if there's an off switch." Idris replies before promptly collapsing. The Doctor and Rory rushed to her side before she drops straight onto the floor and moving her onto a rock.

"Is that it? She dead now. So sad." Uncle said, making Susan feel as if he really wasn't that bothered. Susan went to Idris' side.

"No, hang on." She said, as Rory inspected Idris.

"She's still breathing." He confirmed.

"Nephew, take Idris somewhere she cannot bite people." Uncle said in the same bored tone.

"Oh, hello!" The Doctor said, delighted. Susan looked up at his sudden change in tone and saw what he was looking at.

"Doctor, what is that?" Amy asked, freaked out.

"Oh, no, it's all right. It's an Ood. Oods are good. Love an Ood. Hello, Ood. Can't you talk?" He rambled, with a smile on his face as he approached the Ood. He looked at the Ood's speech orb that was attached to his black garment. Susan approached as well, looking back at the Ponds wit ha grin, and seeing Rory imitating the 'wiggly bits'. She giggled before returning her gaze to the Ood. "Oh, I see. It's damaged. May I? It might just be on the wrong frequency." The Doctor said, opening up the orb and starting to fix it.

"Nephew was broken when he came here. Why, he was half dead. House repaired him. House repaired all of us." Auntie told them. The Doctor clicked the orb back into place and it glowed a bright green. Then a voice rang through the air. _If you are receiving this message, please help me. Send a signal to the High Council of the Time Lords on Gallifrey. Tell them that I am still alive. I don't know where I am. I'm on some rock-like planet._

But it was many voices that Susan found it impossible to discern them all. She looked around, looking for the source, as did the Doctor, frightened and hopeful at the same time. Time Lords. All of them, Time Lords.

"What was that? Was that him?" Rory asked.

"No, no. It's picking up something else." Susan said; her voice now high and scared. It wasn't- It couldn't. Her people.

"But that's, that's not possible. That's, that's-" The Doctor faltered for words, his eyes wide and his voice cracked as he fumbled for the words. His gaze landed on Auntie and Uncle and he strode forwards. "Who else is here? Tell me. Show me. Show me." He ordered.

"Just what you see. Just the four of us, and the House. Nephew, will you take Idris somewhere safe where she can't hurt nobody?" Auntie asked of the green eyed Ood. But Susan wasn't buying it. She looked from Auntie to Uncle.

"The House? What's the House?" She asked, trying to stay calm.

"House is all around you, my sweets." Auntie answered as if she was talking to a small child; a tone which only further enraged the female Timelord. Another thing that was annoying her was the furtive Uncle jumping up and down. "You are standing on him. This is the House. This world. Would you like to meet him?"

"Meet him?" Rory asked, as if this was the woman that was mad, rather than Idris.

"We'd love to." The Doctor answered immediately with a hushed whisper.

"This way. Come, please. Come." Uncle ushered them, and Susan waited for them all to begin walking, looking around as if the voices were to burst out again.

"What's wrong? What were those voices?" Amy asked the Doctor, sternly.

"Time Lords. It's not just the Corsair. Somewhere close by there are lots and lots of Time Lords." He answered her. He seemed in a daze, his eyes never diminishing from their widened state as he looked in pure hope and disbelief. He turned from them and they began walking after the figures of Auntie and Uncle. Susan jogged to catch up, falling slightly behind her Grandfather.

"We need to tell the High Council, tell Gallifrey. That's the plan right?" She asked. But the Doctor said nothing; he shrugged her off, kept walking. She blinked, and increased her pace, trying to catch his eye but he wouldn't. She frowned, confused and stopped walking, her arms hanging aimlessly by her side as she watched him stride on. Something didn't sit right in her hearts and she spoke weakly.

"Grandfather?"

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**Now reviews:**

**Copperdragon2: I really really hope it is good. Tell me if you like it :)**

**DanniFielding: It will indeed. The Doctor is in for a rollar coaster and he may crash and burn ;)**

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**It is so much better than mine and I swear, she's a darling but she as a little Moffat inside her! It's so good!**

**Hope you review, it always makes me smile. I will try and update Sunday, if not before so the more reviews, the merrier**

**Heather x**


	13. Chapter 13

**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 13**

They walked on and into a tunnel, coming out at a rather strange closed area. There was plenty of scrap, like before. And a grating with steam rising was at one side.

"Come. Come, come. You can see the House and he can look at you, and he…" Uncle was saying, trailing off as they crowded in. Susan was near the back, not really paying attention as the Doctor looked down at the grate. He was hiding something from her. Something about the other Time Lords. What she didn't know was what and she hated not knowing. A niggling feeling in her gut was telling her it was bad and a little voice in her head said she was a fool. She pushed it away and focused.

"I see. This asteroid is sentient." The Doctor said quietly, Susan came closer, intrigued.

"Like the TARDIS." She supplied, looking the grating over.

"Not exactly but well done." He said, turning to look at her as she stared. He looked sad, but a smile came lightly onto his face when she glanced at him, and she gave one back. They looked back up as Auntie spoke.

"We walk on his back, breathe his air, eat his food."

"Smell its armpits." Amy whispered, making Susan chuckle.

"And socks." She reminded the red head with a grin as they both tried very hard not to laugh. They both jumped however when Uncle and Auntie inclined their heads and spoke in a voice that was not their own.

_"And do my will. You are most welcome, travellers_." The formal and deep voice echoed simultaneously from the two people's mouths. Susan was instantly on guard and looked the people over. They looked like puppets.

"Thanks." She answered with a nod.

"Doctor, that voice. That's the asteroid talking?" Amy asked.

"Yes. So you're like a sea urchin. Hard outer surface, that's the planet we're walking on. Big, squashy, oogly thing inside, that's you."

_"That is correct, Time Lord." _The deep voice of House echoed through Auntie and Uncle. Susan's eyes narrowed as she stepped towards the grating, bending down and looking at the rising green light.

"You know we're Timelords." It was a statement, not a question and the Doctor's brow furrowed. Not many knew of the Timelords now, the myth lost through time as were its people.

_"Timelords are known to me, Lady." _Susan gave a small chuckle, looking back at the Ponds and the Doctor over her shoulder.

"He's polite." She said with a hint of a smile. "So you've met Time Lords before?" She asked. The Doctor was on the far side of the little room, looking at Auntie and Uncle half fascination, half disgust. Something was wrong and Susan saw it. Whatever it was, the Doctor was conflicted so it fell to her to ask the questions.

_"Many travellers have come through the rift, like Auntie and Uncle and Nephew. I repair them when they break."_

"So there are Time Lords here, then?" Susan asked, trying to quell down the mixture of nerves and hope in her stomach as she got up, walked around to the two figures that were possessed.

_"Not anymore, but there have been many Tardises on my back in days gone by." _

"Well, there won't be any more after us. Last Time Lord. Last Tardis." The Doctor came out of his silence, pushing of the wall, his hands falling to his sides as he strode over, a playful smile on his face. Susan's hearts dropped, she looked to the Ponds for help but they were deliberately not looking at her.

_"A pity. Your people were so kind. Be here in safety, Doctor, Lady. Rest, feed, if you will." _House told them. Susan ran to her Grandfather, grabbing his shoulder and making him turn and face her. His eyes were shut, as if he didn't want to see her.

"Grandfather, what do you mean?" Her voice was hard, clinical because if it was true…if it was true, she couldn't lose it. Not now. Later, yes. But not now. The Ponds walked up and Amelia took the Raggedy Man's hand and the Doctor opened his eyes which now looked very, very tired but determined.

"We're not actually going to stay here, are we?" Rory asked him with a worried glance around. The Doctor pushed past Susan, hands splayed, his usual energy returned.

"Well, it seems like a friendly planet. Literally." He turned back to Auntie. "Mind if we poke around a bit?"

"You can look all you want. Go. Look." Auntie told them with a smile, looking then at Amelia. "House loves you."

"Come on then, gang. We're just going to, er, see the sights." The Doctor said, and began to walk away, Rory following as Amelia batted away Auntie. Susan started to walk after them, needing answers.

"Grandfather, what did you mean by last Timelords?" Her voice was desperate.

"Not NOW!" The Doctor roared, making Susan stop. Why was he acting like this? What was he so afraid to say and why wasn't he saying it? She stood in shock, shaking. He had _never _lashed out like that before. He was happy them it was as if the emotions had bubbled to the surface; the anger all released in that one word.

"But…" She trailed off, lost. Amy came up behind her.

"I'm sorry…yeah?" Amelia spoke with sadness in her voice and Susan looked up at her.

"But for what?" She whispered as Amy just gave a small smile and ran on ahead to catch up with Rory and the Doctor as Susan stood there for a moment, feeling quite alone.

"Thief! Keeper ! Keeper! Thief!" Susan twirled around, trying to find the source of the woman's voice before hurrying up, trying to catch them up. She ran through a maze of decrepit corridors; made of corrugated iron and a mish mash of substances before she found them, following the sound of her grandfather's voice.

"-Tell them why I had to." He was saying, turning away just as Susan would have come into view so now The Doctor had his back to them and didn't see her, neither did the Ponds.

"You want to be forgiven." Amy reasoned, seeming to know something Susan didn't, as did Rory, They were all keeping something from her. Her gaze darted to her grandfather, who seemed to be wrestling with his emotions, his hands on his hips and looking out, as if trying to figure out what to say.

"Don't we all?" He asked softly, before beginning to turn round and Susan caught the flash of his face; pained and sad, but then the mask was up. She took a step forward.

"Don't we all what?" Susan asked him, but he broke eye contact, turning to the Ponds.

"Nothing, now, Amy…" He said to Amelia. She nodded, taking a deep breath. Amelia knew this was not going to end well. Not for the Doctor and not for Susan.

"What do you need from me?" She asked. The Doctor thought for a moment then patted his jacket pocket.

"My screwdriver. I left it in the Tardis. It's in my jacket."

"You're wearing your jacket." Rory said, deadpanned, not amused. He was conflicted, affected by this as well. His wife had filled him in on her convocation with the Doctor and he was more worried for Susan. She had barely trusted him at the beginning.

"My other jacket." The Doctor replied quickly, walking towards them both, and past Susan who stood against the wall, just watching.

"You have two of those?" Rory asked. Amy just shook her head.

"Okay, I'll get it. But Doctor, listen to me." She said, serious now, before she leaned in and whispered in his ear, not wishing Susan to overhear. "Don't get emotional because that's when you make mistakes." She took a step back and the Doctor gave a small salute and a smile before Amy threw him her mobile.

"Yes, boss." He gave the empty promise as he caught the phone.

"I'll call you from the Tardis." She promised him and then turned to her husband and Timelady. "Rory, Susan, look after him." She said, pointedly as she walked off.

"Rory, Susan, look after her." The Doctor said with a soft smirk, pointing in the direction she'd left in before turning away. Rory looked at Susan, seemingly at a loss.

"Yeah." He nodded, his decision made as he pointed to the Doctor. "Susan, look after him."

"Yeah." Susan added softly, nodding at Rory as he turned and went after his wife. Susan then went over and stood next to her grandfather. He looked down at her, pursing his lips, thinking.

"Onwards?" He asked her, quietly. She turned so her whole body was facing him and folded her arms.

"Don't we all what?" She repeated, more firmly. She wanted to know what was going on, needed to know and the more he kept it from her, the angrier she was becoming. The Doctor didn't care as he withdrew his gaze from hers and started walking, leaving her behind.

"Onwards." He whispered to himself. They walk on, through the twisting and narrow metal corridors, the walls and the harsh ground underfoot was covered in grime and dust. She followed him, glaring at his back as he looked around. He was still hiding; his fear of…whatever it was he was hiding; it was drawing him away from her. He was distancing himself and as much as Susan was trying not to resent it, trying to believe he knew what he was doing, she couldn't.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the phone ringing in the Doctor's pocket. She sped up as the Doctor got it out and flipped it open, answering. He waited a moment, listening before answering Amy who was on the other line.

"Yeah, it's around somewhere. Have a good look." As he said this the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and gave a rash smile as he held it up, and gave it a buzz. Susan could guess what for. The Ponds, seemingly to have hung up, were now in the TARDIS. Exactly where he wanted them too. Anger boiled.

"You lied!" She said, disbelief coursing through her voice as he once again avoided her gaze, putting away the scientific instrument. The Doctor stared at her for a moment. Susan opened her mouth to speak again and this seemed to break the spell as he strode away with a shake of his own head, answering.

"I had to."

"You don't trust them." Susan said, with confusion. It was a reasonable assumption and one she feared was true. He looked at her harshly as they walked.

"I do." He replied firmly, but then sighed, pushing through tattered curtains to more pathways. "I don't want them hurt." He finally said, softly. But Susan shook her head and grabbed his wrist. The Doctor spun in surprise to face her.

"Believe that if you want. But I am still here." Susan said, sternly. The Doctor wanted to tear his eyes away but he couldn't; his filled with pain and regret and a small ounce of hope, whereas hers met his with defiance, confusion and trust. She did trust him. "And I want answers!"

"Susan…" He took in a deep breath, bringing a hand to rub his tired face before it rests lamely by his side. Susan's Grandfather turned away from her; he didn't want to see her expression. But Susan's grip was firm.

"No! Tell me!" But he twisted out and gave an angry huff at her before stalking off, leaving her there. She was angry. He was angry. Susan just wanted him to tell her! "Grandfather!" She roared, picking up her feet and running after him.

As the Doctor ran, he ran for two reasons. He didn't know what to do. It was a new feeling, and one that was utterly terrifying in the face of Susan. He wanted to tell her, of course he did. But he couldn't. Not that. Anything but that. Gallifrey was gone- why did she need to know that? He was being selfish. And what was worse was that he knew it.

The other reason he ran was because he heard them. Whispers in his head. Timelords had telepathic centres in their brain; they could feel the presence of another of their kind. But his senses were partially blinded by pure, unadulterated hope. Hope that the Corsair or whoever was alive. Just a Timelord, any Timelord so that he wasn't alone- and so that he wouldn't have to tell her alone. "Come on. Where are you? Now, where are you all? Where are you?"

The Doctor closed his eyes, breathing steady as he pushed away the emotions and focused. He heard something, a faint something, growing stronger. He couldn't tell the words but he winced. Such pain. He opened his eyes as Susan came into the clearing.

"You tell me and you tell me now." Her voice was pained. Pain. Oh, it was her. Of course it had been. Whilst untrained in telepathy, Timelords had a natural gift for it, it came in their DNA. But only came in times of…stress; strong emotions. He had caused that. And he had to cause more. He couldn't do and yet he had to. His mind was a jumble; torn. He wanted to have no secrets between them but he wanted her happy.

Why was it so hard for them to coincide? Why was it always so hard for him? So hard for them both. And so he walked away, turning his back and rubbing his face- he sniffed, he had to tell her. Now.

"Susan…I-" His voice immediately caught but he persevered, she had to listen, to understand that it broke his hearts too. Susan's anger fell away as she saw her Grandfather choke. He never choked. Her grandfather was wise, always had a word to say and it was always the last word. She took a shaky step towards him, hand outstretched but he shied from it, as if scared to touch her.

"What?" She asked him, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"I can't! I can't tell you!"

"And why not?" She questioned, anger boiling up again as she planted her feet.

"Because you'll hate me!" He roared, his face falling instantly afterwards as the emotions had torn from him. Susan looked petrified, now unsure. She sucked in a breath and her voice was a stark contrast to her Grandfather's.

"Grandfather…what did you mean when you said…last of the Timelords?"

"I meant Last of the Timelords." He admitted hollowly. Susan gave a dry chuckle and a shake of her head, defiant as the Doctor watched her carefully, expecting her to lash out.

"It was a trick…you don't trust House so you lied, okay, I get it." Susan muttered monotonously, her mouth warping into a smile, as though the joke was funny. Her eyes were locking onto everything but the man before her. It had to be a joke, a trick. Nothing but true. It couldn't be true. He told her they could go back home. She was going to go back to Gallifrey. She turned and strode away, not able to look at him, trying to process it.

The Doctor stood silently, his own face now ashen. He had tried to avoid this. His lips twitched at the corners but for a millisecond. For whilst his hearts gave a leap on the fact she thought he had a grand plan, they were shattered twice over. Susan was wrong. There was no big plan. There was only their planets death to tell her.

He clenches his jaw, hands morphing into fists as he built a mental wall, to keep his emotions at bay. He wishes he could tell her it was a lie, or a trick or a joke. Finally, he whispers the one word that felt to echo around the whole of that damned asteroid. "No."

"N-No?" Her voice broke, the pain filling it and the Doctor closed his eyes. It was all out now, there was nothing he could do but tell her it all. She still didn't face him; otherwise he would have seen the tears starting to fall as her shoulders began to shake. The Doctor saw her tremble and he took a step forwards, wishing to console her but all he did was staring at his fingers, knitted together much like his insides.

"Susan…there was a war." He began slowly. "What?" She finally spins around to face him out of pure shock. Her own voice was barely above a whisper, creating a stark contrast, and the tears were relentlessly showing no signs of stopping. Her head ducks as the tears fell, racing down her cheeks to run back into each other at her chin before they fall. The Doctor lies and the Doctor is wrong. He _had _to be wrong.

But his face said it all. And it hit Susan. She stumbled, and her legs gave way. "No…no..." She whimpered, looking at the stark honest in his face. "Not Gallifrey…no…please." She sobbed; her eyes as wide as they could be as she grew faint, looking around at her hazy surroundings. She couldn't breathe. He walked away. He walked away from her, wanting to run into the TARDIS corridors and lose himself in the endless maze. Anything than looking into the eyes of his best friend. Eyes that were now red and raw because of him. He couldn't do and yet he had to. His mind was a jumble; torn. He wanted to keep her safe but he wanted her happy.

Why was it so hard for them to coincide? Why was it always so hard for him? So hard for them all. And so he walked away, turning his back and rubbing his face, trying not to sob at all. He needed his wits about him. His shoulders slumped after he had said his words, his gaze finding hers, the hazel eyes trailing down her face, following the incandescent tracks of salty drops that lined her pale cheeks. The Doctor was going to turn away but she spoke again, this time her voice was barely a whisper and he took a step closer in a bid both to hear her, and to comfort her.

"What….war?" Susan asked, punctuating each word as though it had the ability to break someone in half, rather like it was a spell that just a simple question. "And who…survived?"

"Me." He answered, quickly. "Just me." Susan took in a deep breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She uttered the words, hard and cold. The Doctor's hearts fill with dread and her head is spinning again and she could hear the blood rushing through her ears, almost drowning out his words that seem to come from much further away than they should, muffled and contorted. A war. There was a war and only he had survived. She…she was one of the last Timelords. It was true, all her fears and they were true. The Doctor only stares at her and she takes a step forward towards him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Susan, I-" He began to apologise but Susan cut him off.

"NO!" She yells, the pain making the voice crack and tremble as she looked at him with nothing short of heartbreak. Hearts-break. The pain was twofold with two hearts that pumped widely in her chest. "Why didn't you tell me? _I asked you to go back. _I thought we were going to go home!" The words poured out as he stood motionless. "I thought I was going to see the Citadel and the mountains and that sky again! But you lied!" The Doctor went to interject but Susan stopped him. "Don't you dare! You made me think there was hope when there was none. That is the worst thing you could do! You didn't tell me. You were a coward!"

Her eyes flew wide as the words echoed around the small enclosure and the Doctor just stared at her, the tears that had been threatening to enter his yes now teetering on the edge- because she was right. Of course she was right; he was always a coward when it came to his granddaughter. He was a coward when he had locked those TARDIS doors on Earth, saying goodbye by a microphone and a screen. She didn't even see him. He was a coward when he left her that second time and he was a coward now. Because Amelia had been right. He should've told her then.

The Doctor took a step forwards, hand reaching out but Susan flinched away, breathing deeply, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"What…else?" She asked, steadily. "What exactly happened to Gallifrey?" She waited for an answer.

"A war." He started once more, looking down at the hands that were clasped in front of him. "Gallifrey and Skaro fought…for the universe." A cloud passed over Susan's face as she realised.

"Daleks." Susan gasped and the hatred was evident. Daleks had destroyed everything in her life- everything and everyone that had ever mattered. "Daleks destroyed Gallifrey?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No." Susan frowned, confused. If the Daleks didn't then… "I did." The Doctor said in a grave voice, not daring to look at her.

"You did?" Susan said, drawing back from him. No. No. _That _was a mistake. That was a joke. That had to be. She shook her head slightly, and the Doctor looked up, his face pained and ashen. It wasn't a lie. "I-I have to go." Susan said, taking a step back, needing to breathe, to get out of there. The Doctor started forwards, desperate as Susan turned away, he grasped her arm.

"Susan!"

"No! Just…leave me alone." She said, her voice strained as the tears began afresh. She wasn't angry anymore she was desperate, despairing. She wrenched her arm free and turned to face him. "Who are you?" She whispered, as if the words themselves scared her.

"Susan…I'm your grandfather."

"No….no, because if you were then you won't have done that. The Grandfather I know wouldn't have done that." She whimpered, and threw her shoulders back, trying to keep her feelings concealed, even though the Doctor could see it in her eyes and it broke his hearts. "I'm going back to the TARDIS. And after…you're going to let me go."

"Susan, no, please." The Doctor said, imploring but she shook her head and turned from him, walking away.

"Just go away." And she picked up her pace, running away and down a corridor, past Uncle and Auntie who were going to the Doctor, she ran and ran.

"Susan!" The Doctor yelled back, as the tears finally began to fall but it was too late. She was gone. And he had no idea how to get his granddaughter back to him.

* * *

**Hello Guys! Sorry for the lateness but this is my biggest chapter and also one of the most important; after all, Susan now knows the fate of her planet. Gah, the feels.**

**So, please tell me how I did! I love reviews! Just saying...**

**Heather x**


	14. Chapter 14

**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter 14**

Susan stopped running, her breath ragged, her face now covered in spilt tears. Her planet was gone. And her grandfather had destroyed it. Quivering lips pressed together as she tried hard to prevent the sobs from escaping her, covering her mouth with a hand as she sank down, her knees giving way as Susan collapsed, her head resting against corrugated iron. Finally she let out a wail through fingertips and her body was shaking as the grief and sadness encapsulated her.

Susan let out a sob and wiped her eyes furiously as she buried her face in her knees, drawn up like a child. It was gone, all gone. No red sky, no mountains, no home. Then, she heard a yell.

"Keeper? Thief!" Susan blinked, rapidly as she wiped her face, standing up again and adjusting her clothes as she listened to the voice. It was the mad woman. That silly woman. Susan cursed this whole asteroid, wishing they'd never come. Wishing she'd never met her grandfather again.

Then something struck her, an odd thought, a niggling feeling. Susan followed the voice to another hovel, this time with a cage, and inside it laid the mad woman. Susan approached cautiously, clearing her throat in an attempt to banish her grief; that would be dealt with later and now it was time to take a leaf out of the Doctor's book…and hide it.

"You…you said about the boxes. You meant the Corsair's box. You said they'd make me sad…why did you say that?" Susan asked the woman, who sat up and looked over.

"Ah, it's my Keeper." Idris spoke with calm assurance and Susan only stamped her foot.

"What do you mean by that, hm? Keeper? Keeper of what? I assume you mean me so what does it mean?" Susan asked. Perhaps the woman was simply mad.

"Nothing. It means nothing. Will mean nothing. Used to mean nothing." Idris replied, with a faraway look. Susan got impatient and strode over, clasping the bars with her hands.

"Look, just tell me…please. I just lost my planet. I want to know why you have a Timelord psychic container unless…" Susan took a step back in shock. "A trap? Who are you?"

"It's about time." Idris said, and something about her voice made Susan turn to see her Grandfather, a stony expression on his face as he ran towards the cage, pointing at Idris, his face contorted.

"How did you know about the boxes? You said they'd make me angry. How did you know?" He roared, stopping in front of the cage and pausing, the anger seeming to come off of him in waves. "Who are you?" He asked Idris, angrily. Anger. The boxes made him angry. Susan stepped away from the cage, not looking at her grandfather. Neither acknowledged one another.

"Do you not know me? Just because they put me in here?" Idris replied. Susan frowned and turned back to face the cage.

"They said you were dangerous." She stated, gesturing to her.

"Not the cage, stupid." She said, looking straight back at Susan as she stood up, then her gaze fell on the Doctor as she placed her palms to her cheeks. "In here." She gripped the cage. "They put me in here. I'm the…Oh, what do you call me?" She said, exasperated as both the Doctor and Susan watched with confusion. "We travel. I go…" She made a move to whistle but instead what came out was the most beautiful sound Susan had ever heard. The sound of the TARDIS.

Wait…TARDIS? The Doctor seemed equally concerned and disbelieving.

"The Tardis?" He supplied and Idris elaborated immediately.

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space. Yes, that's it. Names are funny. It's me. I'm the Tardis."

"No, you're not. You're a bitey, mad lady." The Doctor turned away in anger. "The Tardis is up and downy stuff in a big blue box." He stated, gesturing as Susan instead stepped forward, examining the woman, whose gaze was on her grandfather.

"Yes, that's me. A Type Forty Tardis." Idris smiled thoughtfully. "I was already a museum piece when you were young, and the first time you touched my console you said-"

"I said you were the most beautiful thing I had ever known." The capsule had been on display, an antique. He'd snuck in, the doors opening for him to view the white console room. The buy had touched the console and uttered the words, knowing one day that was how he would escape this planet. When it was put in for repair for a navigational problem, it had seemed perfect. Of course, it had been that girl that'd pointed it out, but the memory was fuzzy- fleeing from one's planet did that. Susan had been so young. He stole a small glance at her, who had moved to sit down against the cage, not moving, just staring out empty. His hearts clenched.

"And then you stole me." She looked at Susan. "You both stole me." Her gaze returned to the turned away figure of the Doctor. "And I stole you." Idris said, and Susan gave a breathless smile that quickly faded. The Doctor was lost in thought, almost speaking to himself as he replied.

"I borrowed you." He whispered.

"Borrowing implies the intention to return the thing that was taken. What makes you think I would ever give you back?" Idris asked with a quirk of her lips. The Doctor finally turned back to face her, slowly, ever so slowly.

"You're the Tardis?"

"Yes." She answered, eyes widening in happiness that her Thief had pieced it all together. How clever he was.

"My Tardis?" He asked, eyes narrowing, voice louder, not believing her. It was too much. Too much and not to mention _impossible_! And yet…

"My Doctor. Oh. We have now reached the point in the conversation where you open the lock." The Doctor doesn't move, to shocked, and Susan huffs, getting up and getting the sonic from his pocket, despite small protests as she reached in his jacket. Susan pointed the sonic at the cage and the lock gave a slight click as it swung open. Then she dropped the sonic onto the dirt ridden floor and gets out of their way as the Doctor scrambles to get the sonic, perturbed when he gets up to find Idris staring at him, close.

They watch each other, out of curiosity, trying to identify each other. Idris looks the Doctor up and down. "Are all people like this?"

"Like what?" Susan asked from her seat that she had returned to, but the TARDIS' gaze never wavered from that of her thief.

"So much bigger on the inside. I'm, oh, what is that word?" She moves away, past the Doctor, lost in thought "It's so big, so complicated. It's so sad."

"But why? Why pull the living soul from a Tardis and pop it in a tiny human head? What does it want you for?" The Doctor asked, seemingly getting his voice back.

"Oh, it doesn't want me."

"How do you know?" Susan asked with her brow furrowing as she surveyed the awkward pair. You'd've thought he would have smiled at least.

"House eats Tardises." Idris replied,

"House what? What do you mean?" Susan asked, more and more confused.

"I don't know. It's something I heard you say." She pointed at the Doctor.

"When?" The Doctor questioned.

"In the future." Idris told him, circling the Doctor as she explored the room.

"House eats Tardises?"

"There you go." Susan said with a quick raise of her eyebrows, not looking at the Doctor, her head now resting on her hands. The Doctor was worried. She should be ecstatic; a human TARDIS! Their TARDIS! Why was she not happy? Well of course he knew the answer, of course he did. Idris, almost as though hearing the constant stream of worried thoughts for his granddaughter, placed a thumb on his lips.

"What are fish fingers?" She questioned.

"When do I say that?" He mumbled against her thumb.

"Any second." Then it hit him.

"Of course. House feeds on rift energy and Tardises are bursting with it. And not raw, all lovely and cooked. Processed food. Mmm, fish fingers." He stared off lovingly into the distance.

"Do fish have fingers?" Idris asked with a blank face. He screwed his face up, stuttering as if he was trying to get all his ideas to form one understandable sentence.

"…But you can't eat a Tardis. It would destroy you. Unless, unless-"

"Unless you deleted the Tardis Matrix first."

"So it deleted you." He gave a chuckle, not believing it could be that easy. It wasn't easy."

"But House can't just delete a Tardis' consciousness. That would blow a hole in the universe. So he pulls out the Matrix, sticks it in a living receptacle and then it feeds off the remaining Artron energy. Oh. You were about to say all that. I don't suppose you have to now." Idris relayed at a rapid pace with a gasp.

Susan then stood up quickly. He was a stupid man. The Doctor looked at her in confusion.

"You sent Amy and Rory in there. They'll be eaten." She yelled at him, and his face turned to one of panic as he grappled the phone from his jacket pocket, clasping it to his ear.

"Amy! Amy? Rory? Get the hell out of there." He roared, already running away. Susan looked at Idris, then at his retreating figure and gave a yell of frustration.

"Stay here!" She yelled, already working out that she was dying. Of course she was, it can't hold a flesh body and live. Idris needed to rest. Susan pointed firmly at the woman before running off, after the Doctor's shouts as they both ran down a corridor, 6 seconds apart.

Susan reached the Junkyard just after him, enough to hear what he was yelling into the phone. They were Ponds, they had to be safe.

"But I've unlocked it." He yelled, fear coursing through his voice. Amy answers and he gave a grunt of anger, getting out the sonic and buzzing it at the doors. Susan, younger than he was, sprinted the last few metres ad reached the door first, banging furiously on the door, trying to get them to shift.

"Come on, come on!" She shouted, the Doctor tried the sonic again, but disregarded it, snapping his fingers.

"Open!" He said to the doors, as though they would listen. Susan was close to tears now, it was getting too much, all of it, all of this, too much. Too much to handle, to process. The TARDIS bell rang and she kicked the door out of pure need to release emotion.

"Open this door!" He roared and the fury was so evident that Susan stood back, her gaze on him. Now this was the man she could imagine wiping out his race. And it horrified her. He pounded on the door once more. "Amy. Rory!" He was fixated on the doors, of getting to his companions, but then the cloister bell rang out.

"No." Susan whispered, before tugging on the Doctor's jacket, making him step back, faltering as they both looked at the TARDIS, dematerializing. The Doctor stood still for a few moments, as though expecting it reappear, as did Susan. Expecting…hoping. But it didn't and he whirled back around, the phone beeping as he held it to his ear.

"Amy? Amy, can you hear me?" Susan watched his face fall. She looked back to the spot where the TARDIS had been, helpless. "Okay, right. I don't, I really don't know what to do. That's a new feeling."

Susan looked back to see the Doctor slap himself, the smile leaving as he turned back and started to run back up the road.

"Doctor!" He brushed her off, because, yes, she knew about Gallifrey, yes, she was probably angry but he had to save the Ponds. There had to be something that he could get right today!

They ran back to the woman who called herself the TARDIS.

"It's gone." He growled at her. Idris looked up from where she sat as the Doctor and Susan came into the room.

"Eaten?" Idris queried.

"No, it left. Not eaten, hi-jacked. But why?" The Doctor was fuming, trying to collect his thoughts as he paced angrily. Susan noticed his hands; balled up into fists. She thought she should feel sorry for him. She decided against it. Then the buxom figure of Auntie spoke up.

"It's time for us both to go, Uncie, and keep together." She spoke to the patchwork man as they gathered various items, drawing shawls around them. The Doctor turned to them, livid.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Go? What do you mean, go? Where are you going?" He asked, sternly.

"Well, we're dying, my love. It's time for Auntie and Uncle to pop off." She answered him, not seemingly bothered but Susan looked back at Idris, as though she would supply the answers, then back at the patchwork people as they walked over to a place to sit, right next to Susan.

"I'm against it." Uncle said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"It's your fault, isn't it, sweets? Because you told House it was the last Tardis." Auntie explained, pointing a finger at the Doctor before turning to Susan next to her. "House can't feed on them if there's none more coming, can he?" She patted Susan's leg and Susan got up, a slightly disgusted look falling on her face as Uncle and Auntie sat down together. The Doctor looked at Susan and she looked at him, but diverted her gaze quickly. The Doctor folded his arms, now determined to keep his focus on the Ponds. He could…explain to Susan later.

"So now he's off to your universe to find more Tardises."

"It won't."

"Oh, it'll think of something." She chuckled, before suddenly collapsing, Susan assuming dead but none the less rushed towards her, checking her pulse, furtively looking between Auntie and Uncle. The Doctor too, rushed over to see if he could help.

"Actually, I feel fine." Uncle remarked. Then he too, fell to the floor with a thump, dead. The Doctor let out a yelp, clambering ungracefully to Uncle's side.

"Not dead. You can't just die!" He cried, bending over them, throwing his arms around.

"We need to go to where I landed, Doctor, Susan, quickly." Susan turned to her, aghast that she would suggest leaving them.

"Why?" She let out, annoyed as she let Auntie's arm drop.

"Because we are there in three minutes. We need to go now." She started running but let out a yelp of pain, wincing, she turned back to Susan and the Doctor, clutching her hip. "Ow. Roughly how long do these bodies last?"

Susan didn't need the sonic to tell her what was going on but apparently he did, getting it out, scanning her before looking at the readings, a look of sadness crossing over his features as he came to the conclusion.

"You're dying."

"Of course she's dying…" Susan said, harshly, looking back at her grandfather before helping Idris stand properly. "She doesn't belong in a human body." Susan added, gruffly as Idris stood on her own and Susan whirled around, taking the sonic from him. She was trying to remain detached but it was so hard.

"I could blow the casing in no time." Idris added, taking the sonic lightly from Susan's hands as the Doctor just stared at her, eyes big and sad. "No, stop it. Don't get emotional. Hmm. That's what the orangey girl says. You're the Doctor. Focus." She held out the sonic, but this seemingly only provoked another outburst.

"On what? How? I'm a madman with a box, without a box. I'm stuck down the plughole at the end of the universe on a stupid old junkyard. Ooo." He stopped, a smile playing on his face which only riled Susan.

"What?" Susan asked him, demanding.

"I'm not." He replied simply.

"Not what?" She inquired, just as fast. He turned, walking right up to her, staring into her eyes. He was willing her to get it, to understand. Susan stared him down, fiercely but there was something else there. Something the Doctor searched for, to pinpoint, to identify. It came to him and he turned back away, shutting his eyes. Disappointment. In him. The Doctor got back on track, shutting away his emotions and turning back to Idris.

"Because it's not a junkyard. Don't you see? It's not a junkyard."

"What is it then?" It was Idris this time who had asked.

"It's a Tardis junkyard. Come on!" He ran towards them both, then past them, and onto the corridor before whirling around, his apparent glee etched onto his face with a huge grin. He had a plan. But he needed to ask something. "Oh, sorry. Do you have a name?

"Seven hundred years, finally he asks." She said, offended slightly.

"But what do I call you?" He asked, plainly, wondering. He couldn't just call her TARDIS, or Idris. Speaking of which, Idris took a moment to think."

"I think you call me Sexy." She said a smile on her features as she stood taller, seemingly smug. Again, Susan was hit with the feeling of wanting to yell, laugh and throw up at the same time. Sexy? Really? The Doctor paled, eyes darting to Susan and then to the woman deemed Sexy.

"Only when we're alone." He whispered. Susan couldn't help but chuckle.

Sexy?" She asked him, and he shot her a bashful smile.

IDRIS: It's only Susan." Idris seemed not to be perturbed. Susan held up her hands in surrender, walking past them and on and into the corridor, towards the main junkyard.

"By all means." She said. The Doctor glanced back at her, and then nodded a smile playing on his features as he looked back at Idris.

"Oh. Come on then, Sexy." And he grabbed Sexy's hands and pulled her along, round a corridor, grabbing Susan's as they past till all three were running. Susan let out a gasp as they came to an opening and onto the vast expanse of pure TARDIS junk. The Doctor ran forwards, letting go of Idris and Susan, his sonic out and scanning, searching for something. Idris and Susan shared a look, Susan giving her a small smile as they made their way up a small hill and saw what the Doctor had expected.

"A valley of half-eaten Tardises." He announced to them both, smiling. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinking that all of my sisters are dead. That they were devoured and that we are looking at their corpses." Idris whispered, and Susan went to console the woman, taking her hands and lightly squeezing it, before whispering in her ear.

"I know how you feel. Sorry."

"Oh, my Keeper, you will experience more before this ends." Susan frowned, but the Doctor had heard none of this.

"Ah. Sorry. No, I wasn't thinking that."

"No. You were thinking you could build a working Tardis console out of broken remnants of a hundred different models. And you don't care that it's impossible."

"It's not impossible as long as we're alive. Rory and Amy need us. So yeah, we're going to build a Tardis." The Doctor gave a grin, finally able to have a plan, to be in control of something, and know exactly what he was doing. He bounded down the steep hill, recognising that they needed to be fast to save the Ponds. Susan stayed with Idris, holding her hand and looking on at the Doctor who was now hooking a length of rope around a shard of wall. Susan squeezed Idris' pale hand.

"We'd…probably best help." She spoke, not wishing to. Yes, she wanted the Ponds, but the idea of working with her Grandfather…it made her sick. She wished it didn't but all she could imagine was the blood on his hands. The blood of their people.

"I will help, Keeper." Idris seemed to understand, and let go. The adrenaline from the mystery and run was fading.

"Just…call me Susan." She whispered, walking slowly and steadily with the TARDIS to where the Doctor was.

"Susan. I like it."

"So did I." She chuckled, remembering picking it out. She didn't know the meaning of Keeper. She'd never made her Promise. She had been too young. She had chosen her Earthen name, merely liking the sound. Better than Rose.

"Good." Idris nodded, but her mind was now preoccupied as she watched the Doctor, before bending down and picking something up. "Bond the tube directly into the Tachyon Diverter." She called to him.

"Yes, yes, I have actually rebuilt a Tardis before, you know. I know what I'm doing." He cried tugging on the rope as he gritted his teeth.

"You're like a nine year old trying to rebuild a motorbike in his bedroom. And you never read the instructions." Idris countered.

"I always read the instructions." He protested, tugging harder, as though that would vent his anger.

"There's a sign on my front door. You have been walking past it for seven hundred years. What does it say?"

"That's not instructions." The Doctor shouted.

"There's an instruction at the bottom. What does it say?" Idris said, patiently.

"Pull to open." He admitted, reluctant.

"Yes. And what do you do?"

"I push." He yelled, still struggling to drag the wall.

"Every single time. Seven hundred years. Police Box doors open out the way." Idris shook her head, imitating the doors. The Doctor threw down the rope in annoyance and strode over to her.

"I think I have earned the right to open my front doors any way I want."

"Your front doors? Have you any idea how childish that sounds?" Idris' eyes widened but the Doctor growled, turning away.

"You are not my mother." He said harshly under his breath.

"And you are not my child." She pointed out. This mad the Doctor wheel round and stride back towards her, Idris face now slightly alarmed.

"You know, since we're talking with mouths, not really an opportunity that comes along very often, I just want to say, you know, you have never been very reliable." He was angry, annoyed, frustrated and not just at the TARDIS, at everything. At the fact he was useless, the fact the Ponds were gone, the box was gone and the fact that it was as though he had broken his own granddaughter.

"And you have?"

"You didn't always take me where I wanted to go." He reasoned, a little calmer, but Idris met him face on, knowing exactly what to say. After all, the TARDIS always knew.

"No, but I always took you where you needed to go." The Doctor let out a breathless laugh, in a moment turning from fury to happiness as he ran back towards her, ecstatic.

"You did. Look at us talking. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could always talk, even when you're stuck inside the box?"

"You know I'm not constructed that way. I exist across all space and time, and you talk and run around and bring home strays." She replied, looking at him with confusion before she buckled at the knees, the Doctor catching her.

"You okay?" He asked, voice low and worried. Idris merely looked back.

"One of the kidneys has already failed. It doesn't matter. We need to finish assembling the console."

"Using a console without a proper shell." He gave a low whistle. "It's not going to be safe."

"This body has about eighteen minutes left to live. The universe we're in will reach Absolute Zero in three hours. Safe is relative."

"Then we need to get a move on. Eh, old girl?" The Doctor said, and moved back, grabbing the cable and glancing back over to the human TARDIS, then at Susan, who hadn't moved all through the conversation. She sat, silent and lost; all energy drained a glaze over his eyes. Composing himself, he began to pull the shard of wall once more.

Idris stumbled again and this time Susan looked up, and went over as Idris looked faint.

"Hey." Susan whispered with a small and only slightly forced smile as she took Idris' arm kindly, the woman giving her an odd smile back as they went and sat down on a raggedy old sofa that had an arm rest torn off. Idris clutched the spot where her kidney was placed, her face twisted. Susan wished she could help. But she could.

She looked over at the Doctor who was busy, before turning back to the faint Idris. Her mind was set. "Here, let me help."

She reached out, brushing away Idris' hands before looking down at her own; fair and small, steeling her nerve. Summoning her energy, Susan closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she focused all her mind on her very cells, very DNA. She opened them again. To an onlooker, they would see her eyes glow with a golden light. But the only golden light that Susan could see was that streaming from her hands, curling in the air. It was beautiful.

Susan steadied herself as she placed her hands on Idris' stomach, to heal her. But the glare of the light had made the Doctor turn round to see the sight of his granddaughter using her own regeneration energy. Panic and angry soared through him as he dropped the parts he was holding and charged over.

"Susan, what are you doing? Stop that!" He roared as he ran but Susan didn't. She ignored him and pressed on, watching a hint of colour return to Idris' face. Finally the Doctor reached her, tugging her hands away, despite the danger. Susan's eyes faded along with her hands and she stared at him defiantly.

"That is a waste of regeneration energy and you shouldn't!" He shouted at her, appalled that she would do that, she shouldn't. She needed to keep her lives. She was being stupid. But Susan wasn't going to take that. Finally, all the emotions, the hurt and the confusion, the pain and the loss all converged.

"And WHY NOT?" She yelled, glaring at him and the Doctor just stared, fearfully at Susan because he understood. Why she did it. Not just to help Idris. She could've just helped Idris to walk. No, why she used her energy. Susan viewed it as useless. Of course, what was the point in having extra lives when there was no one to spend them with? He would be dead, only a few faces left himself, even if they all lasted for hundreds and hundreds of years, she still out live him, even if she wanted to see them again. It was in that moment, he saw what he had done to her.

He walked back, needing to rebuild a console and Susan sat back down, patting Idris' arm, silently.

* * *

**And now reviews notes, **

**Copperdragon2: I am sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry! Well, I sorta did, but that's cause it's gotta be sad!**

**Kirbyfan1996: I agree with you on that. There is a lot more intensity, simply because Susan is a complex character and since her return, so has their relationship. She left the TARDIS to grow up and she did. The Doctor's just gotta deal and learn how to be a grandfather again. My plan so far? Is to get to the Day of the Doctor. I don't know how far this fic is going to go as far as moving onto 12, I guess we'll see. But with each series, I will make a new story and make it into a series sorta thing, okay?  
**

**DanniFielding: As ever, a joy to see you review! Thanks for your comments, everyone is sad and confused and angry at the moment. It's so depressing. Things will get better though! Maybe...**

**I hope you liked this chapter guys! It's intense at the moment and I really want opinions on that last scene between Susan and 11! So, reviews would mean so much!**

**Heather x**


	15. Chapter 15

**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter 15**

They worked in silence, Susan tending to Idris before the TARDIS assured her she was alright, then she helped her grandfather with the console. He said nothing, so neither did she. Susan was knee deep in a pile of rubbish, trying to find something that'd work as a lever, when Idris came over to her.

"Oh, are you feeling better?" Susan asked, absentmindedly rummaging as Idris stood next to her, before bending down to help. Susan wanted to chuckle. She was still a little wooden in her movement, the TARDIS obviously not used to limbs.

"Yes, thank you."

"I'm glad." Susan paused, wanting to ask something, but she wasn't sure if she should "Idris?" She began to say, but Idris cut across her.

"Yes." She answered promptly. Susan frowned, that yes had not been a question.

"You didn't know what I was going to ask!"

"You were going to question whether or not I can see the future, and whether I can tell you." Idris relayed with a hint of a smile. Susan did chuckle at that, a little sadly.

"Oh, well…yes." The question had plagued her since finding out the woman's identity. If she could see the future…Susan wanted to know.

"Yes." Idris said firmly.

"Right, got that bit." Susan replied. She knew the TARDIS could tell the future. Susan took a deep breath, "Idris…will we ever be…okay?"

"You are okay." Idris frowned, confused by the questions. Susan waved a hand.

"No, not like that."

"You and the Doctor are always okay." Idris replied, turning a piece of junk in her hand. Susan was still confused by the sentence. Did she mean health wise?

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are very confusing? I think I preferred the box." Susan joked, and Idris smiled but then grew serious, and turned to face the Timelady. Susan looked at her, as a shadow passed over the TARDIS' face.

"My Keeper, you will be okay." She stated, and something made Susan nod.

"Good." Susan answered with a small smile.

By this time, the console was almost complete and Susan and Idris made their way over to it, Susan adding a wire and connecting it, fiddling with the calibration and wishing it was a different colour. When she'd finished, she stood up properly and patted the makeshift console.

"Ready." She stated to

"You'll need to install the time rotor." Idris called over to the Doctor, who at that point was carrying it towards them. The Doctor gave a nod and a grunt, talking as he went, the two ladies still searching for parts.

How is this going to make it through the rift? How?" He was saying to himself as he reached the console and together he and Susan slotted it into place, effectively installing it. "We're almost done." He smiled at her. She gave a curt nod and he busied himself again, checking over equipment. "Thrust diffuser? Er, retroscope. Blue thingy."

"Do you ever wonder why I chose you two, all those years ago?" Idris said, examining a coat hanger.

"I chose you. You were unlocked." He looked over at her from the console, absentmindedly pointing to Susan. "Susan pointed you out."

"Of course I was. I wanted to see the universe, so I stole a Time Lord and his granddaughter and I ran away. And you were the only ones mad enough." She replied, moving to stand next to an affronted Susan.

"I wasn't mad." She stated. The Doctor gave a small chuckle, fixing one last thing on the console.

"Yeah, you were." He said, dragging out the first words in a cheeky tone. Then he ran over and the three surveyed the console. "Right. Perfect. Look at that. What could possibly go wrong?"

A piece promptly jumped off of the console. Susan raised an eyebrow.

"That."

"That's fine. That always happens." He replied, not to be deterred. Then he thought of something and turned back, looking for something. "No, hang on. Wait."

He came back with thick red ropes with gold hooks on the end, more red carpet than junkyard. Idris hooked the coat hanger on the console as the Doctor attached the ropes as safety lines. Susan looked down at the console, pushing her hair behind her ears, she then looked at her grandfather, ready.

"Right. Okay, let's go. Follow that Tardis." He grinned, and pulled the coat hanger. Nothing happened. "Oh no, come on. There's rift energy everywhere. You can do it." He said, as though this was going to motivate the console into working. Susan was busy pressing buttons though.

"Okay, diverting all power to thrust. Let's be having you." Susan said from the other side of the console, turning a small wheel. But the console gave up, and sparked, causing her to dart back. "No, no, no, no." She muttered.

"What's wrong?" Idris asked.

"It can't hold the charge. It can't even start. There's no power." He nearly yelled, growing more frustrated before covering a mirror that Idris had been staring into, playing with her bottom lip. He took a few breaths before uttering; "We've got nothing."

Susan looked down at the console. If they didn't have anything…then they couldn't save them. Susan looked up again when Idris answered.

"Oh, my beautiful idiot. You have what you've always had. You've got me." Susan had one second to be confused before it all became evident as Idris kissed her fingers, and her eyes light up, golden energy apparent on her fingertips as she draws them to the console. The console lights up and instantly began to work, sending a shudder as they all hold on, dematerializing into the rift.

"Whoo hoo!" The Doctor was yelling as the time winds tore at the console, sending them careering through space very fast. Susan held on best they could as she helped the locate and lock onto the blue box.

"We've locked on to them. They'll have to lower the shields when I'm close enough to phase inside." Idris shouted to them. Susan had an idea.

"Can you get a message to Amy?" She yelled at them both and the Doctor caught on, spinning a dial.

"The telepathic circuits are online!" He confimed.

"Which one's Amy? The pretty one?" Idris yelled and Susan just gave a shrug. She didn't know, to be honest. Idris sighed and closed her eyes, the eyes behind lids lit up and shone through before she opened them and died out.

"Hello, Pretty." She spoke to the air in front of her, and it shimmered to show a perplexed Rory.

"What the hell is that?" Rory asked and both the Doctor and Susan gripped onto the console, pulling themselves to the right handed side and next to Idris. The Doctor got there before Susan, he was closest.

"Don't worry. Telepathic messaging." He assured Rory ut then did a double take and pointed before looking at Idris "No, that's Rory." The console swerved again and he was pulled back and into Susan who took all her strength not to let go, but he regained his balance as the time winds raged.

"You have to go to the old control room. I'm putting the route in your head. When you get there use the purple slider on the nearest panel to lower the shields." Idris was explaining, and Susan craned her neck to see. The Doctor was back in view of Rory.

"The pretty one?" He questioned, and Susan pulled him back by the jacket this time, Idris was busy and he was butting in.

"You'll have about twelve seconds before the room goes into phase with the invading Matrix. I'll send you the pass key when you get there. Good luck." The image disappeared as they were thrown once again, all of them giving out a yelp mixed with whoops. It was like a roller-coaster. A roller-coaster through time and space. Susan only hoped it would end soon, and end well. A thought occurred to her.

"How's he going to be able to take down the shields anyway? The House is in the control room." She asked, and Idris answered.

"She directed him to one of the old control rooms." Susan yelled at him, wondering if he was paying attention. She flicked a switch, trying to stabilise what little control they had as the Doctor scoffed before yelling back.

"There aren't any old control rooms. They were all deleted or remodelled."

"I archive them, for neatness. I've got about thirty now."

"But I've only changed the desktop, what, a dozen times?" The Doctor protested.

"So far, yes."

"You can't archive something that hasn't happened yet!"

"You can't." Idris replied with a hint of smugness and Susan grinned.

"We're nearly there!" She roared, tapping a dial on one of the panels which spun wildly as the ride got more and more chaotic. The Doctor was grinning like a mad man.

"Keep going. You're doing it, you sexy thing." He roared and more sparks shot out of the console and Susan had to put a hand in front of her face; the sparks too close for comfort.

"See, you do call me that. Is it my name?" Idris inquired and the Doctor gave a delighted laugh.

"You bet it's your name!" The Doctor shouted in glee.

"Whoo!" All three buckled at the console gave another lurch and they held on for dear life.

"Say Weee!" Susan roared, taken aback by how much she was enjoying this. The Doctor gave a short furrowing of his brow, the phrase sounding familiar, but this was not a floom to a space whale's mouth, this was on a rickety console without a shell to save the Ponds.

"Ha Ha!" He replied with his own outcry of excitement.

"They did it. Shields down." Idris called to them both.

"Send a message to Rory! If they don't get out of the way they'll be killed!" Susan cried at Idris, bracing themselves for their landing as Idris sent Rory another psychic message.

"Where are we landing?" The Doctor called, from Susan's side, face lit by sparks.

"I don't know!" Susan realised and gritted her teeth, really hoping they'd be okay as they closed in on the TARDIS.

"It's not going to hold." Idris told them, and Susan exchanged a worried glance with the woman as the console flew on.

"Almost there!" She shouted, seeing the blue box up ahead through a colossal band of energy as they hurtled towards it. Then the console began to give of a loud sound as they dematerialized and materialized in an old console room, their console spilling out sparks. Susan stumbled out, stepping from the console onto grating as her legs wobbled.

Amy was with Rory, holding onto a beam that looked like coral. Susan got her balance as Amy cried out and the Doctor ran over to them, hugging Amy as Susan blinked rapidly, vision clearing, she looked around for Idris, and saw her wobble, Susan helped her sat her down.

"Not good. Not good at all. How do you walk around in these things?" Idris moaned and Susan gave a shaky smile.

"It'll be okay, don't worry." She consoled the woman and the Doctor caught her words and turned to see what was the problem, he rushed over to them, as Rory and Amy followed.

"We're not quite there yet. Just hold on." He said softly before looking at Amy. "Amy, this is, well, she's my Tardis. Except she's a woman. She's a woman, and she's my Tardis."

Amy's eyes grew wide as she pointed at Idris. "She's the Tardis?"

"And she's a woman. She's a woman and she's the Tardis." Susan confirmed with a nod, a smile curving her lips as she helped Idris to stand once more. Amy squinted at the Doctor who was grinning massively.

"Did you wish really hard?" She questioned and the Doctor blushed.

"Shut up. Not like that."

"Hello. I'm Sexy." Idris announced and Susan supressed a giggle as the Doctor groaned.

"Oh. Still shut up." He warned. Susan continued to giggle. "Susan, stop it!" She stopped.

"The environment has been breached. Nephew, kill them all." Susan looked around, urgently at the voice, expecting the Ood to march forwards any moment.

"Where's Nephew?" Rory asked.

"He was standing right where you materialised." Amy told them.

"Oh dear." Susan grimaced, knowing full well where the poor Ood now was. So did the Doctor.

"Ah. Well, he must have been redistributed." He explained, airily, with slight distaste.

"Meaning what?" Rory questioned, needing it simplified for him. Susan gulped.

"You're breathing him." She explained. "We're all…breathing him." She shuddered.

"Oh, come on." Amy let out in digust, scrunching her face up and covering her mouth.

"Another Ood I failed to save." The Doctor remarked.

"Been more have there?" Susan couldn't stop herself from snapping.

"Doctor. I did not expect you.

"Well, that's me all over, isn't it? Lovely old unexpected me. And the granddaughter, bet you never expected her did you? Well, you're not the first." He told the former asteroid, pointing back at his disgruntled granddaughter.

"The big question is, now you're here, how to dispose of you? I could play with gravity." House remarked till suddenly the gravity floored them, pressuring them down onto the floor and Susan winced, pain radiating in her ribs, having to let go of Idris. Then they were free again and Idris fell to the ground; Rory ran over to her. "Or I could evacuate the air from this room and watch you choke."

The air was sucked out, leaving Susan gasping for breath, her hearts burning as she grasped the railings, trying to pull herself up as Rory checked Idris.

"You really don't want to do that." The Doctor yelled, only managing to due to the binary hearts.

"Why shouldn't I just kill you now?" House posed the question and Susan got to her feet.

"Because then I won't be able to help you. Listen to your engines. Just listen to them. You don't have the thrust and you know that. So I am your only hope for getting out of your bubble universe, into my much bigger one. And that's the one with all your food." She told House, breathing deeply, and Amy fixed her with an alarmed look, wondering what on Earth she was doing. The Doctor however, got it in seconds, not concealing a grin for a moment before he played on the act.

"You just have to promise not to kill us. That's all, just promise." He asked of the being.

"You can't be serious. You're both are mad." Amy said, looking at the Doctor and shaking her head.

"I'm very serious. I'm sure it's an entity of its word. Right, Susan?" The Doctor said to Amy, before looking over at Susan, but Rory grabbed their attention.

"Doctor, she's burning up. She's asking for water." Susan ran over, quickly followed by the others as she knelt down next to Idris, grasping one of her hands, the Doctor grasping the other as he cupped her cheek. She was breathing in rattling breaths and Susan forced herself to smile, to act like it was okay when it was decidedly not.

"Hey. Hang in there, old girl. Not long now. It'll be over soon." The Doctor reassured her.

"I always liked it when you call me old girl." Idris gasped, smiling ever so slightly which made Susan give a chuckle that stuck in the throat so it sounded so wrong.

"You want me to give my word? Easy. I promise." House interrupted.

"Fine. Okay. I trust you. Just delete, oh er, thirty percent of the Tardis rooms, you'll free up thrust enough to make it through. Activate subroutine Sigma nine." The Doctor told him.

"Why would you tell me this?" House inquired. The Doctor stood up, leaving Idris with Susan and Amy.

"Because we want to get back to our universe as badly as you do. And I'm nice."

"Yes. I can delete rooms. And I can also rid myself of vermin if I delete this room first. Thank you, Doctor." Rory was looking around in panic, and Susan snapped her fingers in front of his face so that he looked at her, and she gave him a pointed stare. Get the hint, Rory. Please. "Very helpful. Goodbye, Time Lord. Goodbye, little humans. Goodbye, Idris."

Suddenly a white, bright light filled the room and Susan shut her eyes, flinching as the light attacked her senses, but she never let go of that hand. But then the five appeared in the normal, if dark, console room; their console room.

"Yes. I mean, you could do that, but it just won't work. Hardwired fail safe. Living things from rooms that are deleted are automatically deposited in the main control room. But thanks for the lift."

"We are in your universe now, Doctor. Why should it matter to me in which room you die? I can kill you just as easily here as anywhere. Fear me. I've killed hundreds of Time Lords." House threatened but the Doctor wasn't scared as he glared at the room, Susan seeing the full extent of his…darkness.

"Fear me. I've killed all of them." He stated. It was nonchalant- as if he never cared. Her attention was diverted back to Idris as Rory whispered to her.

"I don't understand. There isn't a forest in here." He said, perplexed. Susan gave her hand a soft squeeze. Hold on, old girl. She looked back at the Doctor. He had to have a plan, had to have something more…right?

"Yeah, you're right. You've completely won. Oh, you can kill us in oodles of really inventive ways, but before you do kill us allow me and friends Amy and Rory, not to mention Susan, to congratulate you," He ushered Amy to stand, and Susan, Rory staying with Idris as the three stood in a row. "-on being an absolutely worthy opponent."

He started to clap and Amy and Susan followed suit, nervously. What was he up to? Susan was thinking.

"Congratulations." Amy said to the entity.

"Really, well done." Susan reinforced, giving the Doctor a sideways look of panic. They trailed off clapping and then Susan noticed Idris' eyes flutter closed and her head loll on Rory's lap. She bent down, hitching up her jeans as she wiped Idris' forehead. She wouldn't open her eyes. Rory held his hands up, the nurse at a loss as the Doctor spoke on.

"Yep, you've defeated us. Me and my lovely friends here, and last but definitely not least, the Tardis Matrix herself, a living consciousness you ripped out of this very control room and locked up into a human body. And look at her."

"Grandfather, please." Susan pleaded for him to stop. He had to help. On the TARDIS, they must have medicine, or something. She cannot loose Idris. She was from home, in a way. She was a link to Gallifrey.

"Doctor, she's stopped breathing." Rory said, and Susan turned back to Idris and shook her shoulder, a tear rolling down her cheek. No, no, no.

"Enough. That is enough." House insisted but this only succeeded in riling the Doctor up more.

"No. It's never enough. You forced the Tardis into a body so she'd burn out safely a very long way away from this control room. A flesh body can't hold the Tardis Matrix and live. Look at her body, House." He seethed, pointing at the fallen Idris.

"And you think I should mourn her?"

"No. I think you should be very, very careful about what you let back into this control room." The Doctor steeled himself, his voice low and calm as he punctuated every word. "You took her from her home. But now she's back in the box again, and she's free."

Susan watched in awe as suddenly, the lifeless body of Idris gave a great gasp and golden energy poured out, swirling over the console and through the entirety of the TARDIS. She gave an incredulous smile as the Doctor continued.

"No. Doctor, stop this. Argh! Stop this now." House sounded as if it was in pain, and Susan knew exactly what was going on as she looked around. The Doctor suppressed a laugh of derision, his face illuminated, the whole room was illuminated.

"Oh, look at my girl. Look at her go. Bigger on the inside!" He gave a twirl as the energy seemed to surge and Susan gave a giggle, unable to suppress her own happiness at seeing the old girl back where she belonged. "You see, House?"

"Make her stop." But she didn't, and neither did the Doctor.

"That's your problem. Size of a planet, but inside you are just so small." He bit out, his anger flaring as the House gave a howl.

"Make it stop." House cried but the Doctor gave a scoff, squaring his shoulders as he waved a hand, tired of the game.

"Finish him off, girl." He muttered, and Susan stood back up as the room went dark, the green light fading to the quieting cries of House as he was torn from the box. It was over. They were done. She gave a small sigh of relief, and looked at the Doctor who was hunched over the console, eyes dark. Susan contemplated going to him, but she didn't move.

"Doctor, Susan, are you there? It's so very dark in here." Susan stopped, shocked, before turning round at the same time as the Doctor. It was Idris, the figure lit inwards with golden light as she stood by the stairs.

"We're here." The Doctor whispered with a sad smile as he took a step forward.

"I've been looking for a word. A big, complicated word, but so sad. I've found it now."

"What word?"

"Alive. I'm alive."

"Alive isn't sad."

"It's sad when it's over. I'll always be here, but this is when we talked, and now even that has come to an end. There's something I didn't get to say to you.

"Goodbye?"

"No. I just wanted to say hello. Hello, Doctor. It's so very, very nice to meet you. Hello, Susan. I always loved the name you chose."

"Don't go." Susan stepped forwards, left hand shaking as she looked at the form of Idris. She couldn't go.

"You were happy. You will be happy." She said, in the same, soft cryptic manner. Susan gave a watery chuckle as she rubbed her nose. "I have loved this time."

"Please. I don't want you to. Please." He implored and Susan felt the tears well. She couldn't go. She couldn't. Not another thing lost to her. Not after everything. But Idris' form gave a shiver as the bell tolled and she faded away. Susan was lost. She closed her eyes; her body falling against the console as she let it all go, shuddering with sobs. She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched. Not now.

She didn't look at the Doctor as she turned away, and left for her room, down the stairs that lead to a corridor. She saw her swing, and her mind turned to despair as she stopped, walking over hurriedly and pulling it down, letting it fall with a clatter before she buried her face in her hands and fled to her room.

* * *

**Now reviews:**

**Guest: I have had a lot of guest reviews for the last chapter! I thank each one of you, it was sweet and kept me motivated. And yes, if there was a rage button, Susan would have hit it! Glad you like it!**

**DanniFielding: Yeah, Susan is a little all over the place and as much as she wants her Grandfather and her to be family...it's complicated. **

**Hope you enjoyed Chapter 15! Chapter 16 is on the way so to spur me on, how about a couple of reviews? Maybe?**

**Heather x**


	16. Chapter 16

**Miracles Out of Nowhere**

**Chapter 16**

But of course, Susan's room wasn't there. House had deleted it. In the corridor where it always was, not even a door remained and as Susan gazed at the blank space of ll, she was compelled to place a hand upon it, the cool feel of the metal underneath cool fingers and she gave a sigh.

"Why is it all wrong, old girl?" She whispered, parting from the wall and gazing downwards. She was speaking to the TARDIS, but there was no answer. She gave a small smile. Of course. She had hoped for a sign, a message of some sort. The TARDIS had been her friend over the last few weeks and the years and years before. The fact that she had been human, flesh, even for a while... "Oh…I'm being stupid, aren't I?" She sucked in a breath. "If you are there…" She chuckled, shaking her head. "If you are there. What should I do?" She asked the ship. She felt so lost, confused. She wanted to stay forever here now, repair the sense of family. There was no reply, of course not. She vainly thought that there would be. Susan felt so very, very alone in that moment. She hadn't wanted Idris to die purely because they could talk, no, not just that. Idris was from Gallifrey, the only other bar her Grandfather and she did not want to talk to her Grandfather. She just wished there was a way to speak with her. But it was impossible. She wasn't built that way. But, then a thought occurred. The TARDIS could communicate. Susan looked up and around the corridor.

"Hey, old girl?" Susan tried, and felt a hum of response. Ah ha. "Where do I need to go?" She asked of Idris and then began to walk. Susan had remembered that morning that the TARDIS had seemed compelled to send her to the library.

Sure enough, it took a 30 second walk down a right hand corridor before finding herself in the library. Tapping her foot as she stood in the middle of the vast expanse of books, she closed her eyes. "Right, now then…what is it I need to read?" Susan assumed it was a book, indeed, what else would you expect? She opened her eyes to find herself facing a different direction, as though the room had spun beneath her feet. Susan looked at the small, very small, alley…it was almost as if it led to a shrine, or a chapel. But she only saw a book that rested on a pedestal. She walked forwards, cautious, steeling herself.

She ran her fingers across a leather cover, with metal joining the covers and looked down at the title: The History of The Time War. Picking it up, she found an armchair, and sat down, shakily opening the book.

The Doctor swung on his swing, goggles on his face as he looked up into the tangle of wires, deliberately avoiding the crumpled seat on the floor of the TARDIS, with its cables trailing into the oil basin around the sheath that protected its heart. No, he definitely hadn't noticed that. He had also definitely not noticed the scratches on the leather, the scuff on the hooks and the one that still hung there, the wear and force having ripped it from the leather. No. Why would he notice those things?

He connected two wires, focusing on his task and not all the things around him, all the things that pointed to Susan. A spark blew. Then Rory's voice rang out.

"How's it going under there?" The Doctor looked up at the questions to see the Ponds peering at him through the glass floor, immediately noticing their worried faces. They wanted him to talk. Fine, not about the thing they wanted him to though.

"Just putting a firewall around the Matrix. Almost done." He said conversationally, Amy put her lips together and watched him, trying to decipher what was going on in that ol' Timelord noggin of his. She always was. There were sometimes where she caught him, and he looked…so sad.

"Are you going to make her talk again?" She asked through the floor as Rory walked down the steps, and the Doctor rocked back on his swing.

"I can't." He answered, promptly.

"Why not?" Rory asked, holding onto the bannister as he stepped down.

"Spacey wacey, isn't it?" Amy replied, looking down at them both now.

"Well, actually, it's because the Time Lords discovered that if you take an eleventh dimensional matrix and fold it into a mechanical then-" Rory had touched two wires together and they had let out a noise and a bang, sending sparks out. The Doctor threw his hands up in tired frustration and cried out to them both. "Yes, it's spacey wacey!" He wearily flipped of his goggles and inspected a connector as Rory apologised.

"Sorry. At the end, she was talking. She kept repeating something. I don't know what it meant."

"What did she say?" He asked, secretly hoping it was something to do with Susan. It had to be, what else would she advise them about? And though the Doctor didn't want to admit it, he needed the advice. Rory lent onto the bar above.

"The only water in the forest is the river. She said we'd need to know that someday. It doesn't make sense, does it?" He questioned. Okay, not Susan. Still, he shouldn't have got his hopes up on that front.

"Not yet." He echoed, with a small smile. Yet another thing he didn't know. He looked at Rory and his expression turned to one of veiled concern. "You okay?"

"No. I watched her die. I shouldn't let it get to me, but it still does. I'm a nurse." Rory explained with a sad expression, his wife finally joining them and sitting down next to the railings. The Doctor scratched his head, trying to think of a worthwhile response. But he just said what came to him.

"Letting it get to you. You know what that's called? Being alive. Best thing there is. Being alive right now, that's all that counts." He sat back down and forced a smile. "Nearly finished. Two more minutes, then we're off. The Eye of Orion's restful, if you like restful. I can never really get the hang of restful. What do you think, dear? Where shall we take the kids this time?" He pulled out a yellow rag and polished the cup links.

"Look at you pair. It's always you and her, isn't it, long after the rest of us have gone. A boy and his box, off to see the universe." Amy said softly and sadly, as she leaned on the bannister, her head resting on the bars as she looked at him fondly. Oh, Raggedy Man, he was in a right mess.

"Well, you say that as if it's a bad thing. But honestly, it's the best thing there is." He smiled, and opened his mouth to continue but Amy opened hers at the same time and he closed it, as Amy struggled to find the words. He knew what words, but he still gave a smile and raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"So, you told her then?" Amy asked, with a hesitant smile and raised eyebrows- as though it were no big deal. She wanted to show the Doctor that she would back off if he wanted to, to give him space. She could get the truth from Susan instead. She was of course, Amelia Pond. The Doctor put his goggles back on at that, out of no great need, but to protect himself, keep something hidden; to hide those big sad eyes.

"Yes, I did." He answered, with an emotionless tone.

"Hang on, sorry?" Rory was obviously lost, having not been a part of the prior conversation between his wife and the Doctor. Amy shrugged him off, he'd catch up.

"So…she knows." Amy led the Doctor on, hoping he would divulge, so she could help him, help them both. They were family and all they had done except for one morning was be mad or sad or something at each other. She didn't like it at all. "And you did what about it?"

"I did nothing. I told her about Gallifrey, Amelia, what else did you want me to do?" He sighed, and focused again, rubbing the brass with the yellow duster. Rory finally clicked and changed his focus from his wife to the Doctor, his mouth open. "Don't keep it open, Rory. You'll catch flies. Maybe." He muttered absentminded, and Rory complied.

"Doctor…how did she react? Does she need any help? Why aren't you with her?" Rory asked, the actions of his friends were incomprehensible. If it were him, he'd be explaining, he'd be trying to help, hugging her, or something. Not hiding away. But the Doctor did it so well. And he wasn't even in the mood to be riled.

"She reacted how you would think. She hates me. Doesn't want to see me. I'm not with her because I need to install a firewall." He spoke, and Rory gaped again for a moment.

"Did she say that?"

"Say what?" The Doctor frowned at Rory.

"Say that she hated you? That she didn't want to see you?" He mumbled, feeling like he was on shaky ground, but the Doctor swung his legs over and jumped up from the console, walking slowly up to Rory and doing the thing where he forgot personal space was invented as he looked into the nurse's eyes, before glancing between Rory and Amy. No. Susan hadn't. But was it implied? No. Maybe. Well, probably.

"You think I should go to her?" He asked his friends, voice inquisitive, soft and Amy stood up.

"Yes! Now go!" She said, smiling genuinely now as the Doctor ambled up the steps, the Ponds watching him as he turned, rubbing his hands nervous as a thought occurred.

"Ah, House deleted all the bedrooms. I should probably make you two a new bedroom. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He was prevaricating but Amy let him off. They did need a new bed, and since they were talking about it…

"Okay. Er, Doctor, this time could we lose the bunk beds?" His face fell.

"No. Bunk beds are cool. A bed with a ladder. You can't beat that." Amy and Rory looked at his with their 'Doctor-you're-being-ridiculous' faces and he grumbled and waved an arm. "It's your room. Out those stairs, keep walking till you find it. Off you pop." He turned away and walked back to the console, pulling a lever or so as the Ponds reached him and walked past to their corridor.

"Doctor, do you have a room?" Rory asked but Amy pulled him along and they left, but not a moment had passed till Amy popped her head round.

"Talk to her, okay? She needs to understand because knowing you, you've been vague." Amy gave a side smile to reassure him, before popping off to find her room with her husband. The Doctor stood for a moment, hands resting on the console as he listened to the hum and the gentle repetitive thrum of the TARDIS itself.

He looked up, eyeing every corner of the vast gold and copper room, noting every cable, every wire, ever doo hickey. "Are you there? Can you hear me?" He whispered, but after a few moments and no response, he looked back down at the console. "Oh, I'm a silly old. Okay. The Eye of Orion or wherever we need to go. I need to go talk to Susan." And he watched, his face turning to delight as a lever arched over and set them in motion, and the blue stabilizers flashed, the TARDIS giving her thief a quiet ride so he could talk to his granddaughter.

He found her, guided by the TARDIS, in the library. He walked slowly, deliberately as he saw in which of the many alcoves of books she was situated in. It was in one that usually had a barrier. But it was down and he could see Susan's small form in a large chair, clutching the book. He closed his eyes, readying himself and giving a deep breath. He had made tea, the TARDIS conveniently sending him past the kitchen. Hot chocolate for Susan, he remembered that she liked it; she'd said so only that morning. That morning, this seemed a world away now. So much had happened in so little time. The blue mugs were steady in his hand as he walked over, and saw she was asleep. He gave a short smile, the Doctor placing down the mugs on a side table before taking the heavy tome from her grasp. She didn't stir.

He sat down on the chair opposite, leaning forwards, looking at the book. So much ruin, so much blood. All encased in pages. The History of the Time War. Why the Time Lords had wanted to keep a record of it, he will never know. Perhaps it was their ego, being gently increased by chronicling their _greatest _victory, he thought bitterly. He got up and placed the tome back on its pedestal, a relic now. He turned his back on it, just in time to see Susan's eyes flutter open.

Susan gave a great sigh as she leaned upwards, opening her eyes properly to settle on the form of her grandfather, sitting down. She sat up straighter, looking around slightly, her head not moving but her eyes searching, for the book. It had been put back. Her gaze once again rested on her grandfather.

"I made you a drink." He began, looking awkward, unsure. It was exactly how she felt. She noticed the cup and picked it up, the warmth a welcome feeling. Hot Chocolate. He had remembered. A smile came briefly on her face but it faded as she took a small sip.

"Thanks." She answered simply, looking anywhere but at his eyes. Susan knew what they would look like; big and sad. Full of hope and regret. She couldn't face them. The Doctor wanted to reach out, to hug her, but instead he only took a gulp of his tea, the liquid pouring down his throat. They both regarded each other in silence.

"Susan..." He started to say softly, but she cut him off.

"No." She told him, and he finally met her gaze, and there was such…oh, he didn't know what. The Doctor tried to search for the betrayal, the hatred but, it wasn't there. Why wasn't it there? His eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, the only admission to his confusion. Susan looked down at her hands, entwined about the mug as she took a deep breath. "I read it…but you probably guessed that." Her voice was shaky and the Doctor listened intently, focusing on each word. Susan sighed, and looked up at him, right into his eyes and he saw the tears brimming to fall. Please don't fall, he begged inside.

"It's never going to be okay." Susan said finally and the Doctor shut his eyes, accepting, he thought this would happen, this is what would always happen if he let people know, if he let them in, they would leave and go away and hate him forever. "But…"

The word was so small and whispered but the Doctor heard it like a siren and his eyes shot open and he stared at her. "I forgive you." She smiled then, and a tear fell down as she continued, feeling if she stopped now, she would never start again. "Look, we've been away from each other for…centuries. We are different people but we are still family, Grandfather. And I love you. Despite all this rubbish, I love you. I hate it but I do. You destroyed your planet. Our planet."

"Susan, I would give anything, anything to change that." He implored to her. She had to believe him. Susan gave a nod.

"Oh, Grandfather, I know you would. I know you had no other choice. It was the Daleks for heaven's sake." She gave a shaky laugh, a lot of hurt and resentment behind it. Of course, the Daleks were a well versed adversary to her now. Not that the Doctor knew all that. He frowned, his lips parting slightly but they shut when she carried on, face passive once again. "And I know how sorry you are but…I don't know you." She shook her head and the Doctor's hearts plummeted. But she had not finished yet, the tears began to pour now, streaming down her face. "Not this you, anyway. You don't know me. And at the moment, I am having a hard time forgiving and forgetting about this whole thing because…"

"What?" The Doctor moved forwards, onto the edge of his seat and took her hand. She let him but looked away.

"I thought you were better than that. I thought that…oh, I am so stupid." She took away her hand, using it to rub her face, trying to bury the tears but they were already free. The Doctor's hearts break and he watches her in disbelief, not knowing what to do and inside his is so angry at himself. He should know what to do, how to comfort her; she was his granddaughter! He used to know this. He should know this. But of course, she was right. They were both different now. It wasn't a bad thing. It wasn't a good thing. It was just a thing. They had to move on. Keep running away.

"No you're not." He replied, softly, leading her on, hoping she would continue. Hoping that she was not enough like him to bury it all. She shook and wiped her eyes before her gaze met his again. So old now. He was so old. But so was she now.

"I thought that we were like we were, you know? But we aren't. And I don't think we can ever be what we were now, not ever." She whispered, voice breaking. The Doctor's eyes grew wide as he realised what she meant. Oh. _Oh. _He looked away, at his fingers that interweave with each other on his lap now, the cup having been placed away ages ago. She wanted him to be…that him. First him, that is. The one she remembered so well. Susan wanted it to be like old times. And he couldn't do that. Did she not like this version of him? Is that what she was saying?

"Susan…" He started to say, but Susan shook her head.

"I just…need time, okay? And I need you to be honest with me. That is the only thing you can do that will make even the slightest bit of difference." She took a gasp of air, powering on, the words fast now, as she caught his gaze, holding it, and saying the words out of sheer desperation to get them out. "You want to know how I am feeling. Honestly? Well that's it. So tell me…what could you possibly say to make that alright?"

"I can't." He admitted, pushing back his fringe and Susan gave a chuckle.

"I know." She smiled, and the Doctor smiled. It wasn't reconciliation, not really, but it was an understanding, it was…a relief. Freeing almost, to him. Yes, there were secrets still but all families had those. Sometimes you needed secrets.

The Doctor was brought out of his thoughts by Susan standing up. She balled her hands into fists, gathering courage. Then she walked over to him, hesitant and trembling. "Hold me, Grandfather."

He looked at her, and she bit her lip, trying so hard to keep it together. Wordlessly, he got up from his chair and opened his arms. She fell into them. Quite simply.

"Here, I've got you." He whispered into her hair, his own head falling down onto her shoulder as he clung to her. "Was I right?" He murmured, and Susan gave him a squeeze, so he ploughed on. "In my beliefs? Was I right?" The Doctor voiced his fear and felt Susan shudder. No, it was merely a chuckle wracking through her small frame as she spoke in his ear.

"Always, Grandfather." They fell away at the same time, arms falling down as the Doctor kissed the top of his granddaughter's head and she smiled. He stepped back, picking up their cups which were now quite cold and adjusting his bow tie.

"So…" He gave a sheepish smile, and Susan took her own mug, a smile appearing on her face. "I love you, Susan." He admitted and Susan's face fell into one of incredulous surprise. She stood still for a moment and then her face split into a grin.

"Cross my hearts." She said fondly, crossing her own, and he mimicked at the gesture she'd done since childhood before hugging tightly again.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for your reviews! Only notes I have on them really is that sorry for the angst! But the relationship is mending, there will be a bit of a filler next chapter but it's about healing the relationship after that big blow so I hope you like it!**

**Also, quick note, I reached 40 REVIEWS AND 40 FOLLOWERS! You are blowing my mind, guys! It means so much each time someone reviews. If you haven't reviewed before- I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**And, I am also thinking of doing a little side story filled with drabbles on the TARDIS? Or working there way into this story. There is a ton of content that I haven't used such as various drafts on how Susan would find out, little cute moments between Susan and the Doctor so I was wondering if you would like to see them? Or maybe you have little moments you want to see? Open to suggestions! I aim to please ;)**

**Anyway, thank you so much, again! Feel free to review...now! See you next time.**

**Heather x**


	17. Chapter 17

**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter 17**

Susan and the Doctor had chatted for an hour or so, each in their respective armchairs, curled up in them so they looked more like children than over 1000 collectively. The Doctor told her of his life, marking painful details, and of all the companions he had had, including the ones they had both had the fortune of meeting in the Death Zone.

"Oh, good ol' Sarah!" The Doctor was laughing as he told Susan of his most recent adventure with Sarah Jane Smith and a Miss Jo Jones nee Grant, and Susan was grinning also, with sparkling eyes.

"She was a firecracker- I remember her, back in the Death Zone." Susan replied, and the Doctor nodded, remembering to that particular adventure. He'd been reserved then, in many of his selves- it had only been his 1st that had paid her more attention. For the days had been long in the TARDIS without Susan and though he'd had many friends- they were not family. So, the pain was buried in his past selves, bar 1. For his first face, the pain was fresher- the emotions not yet rained in so he had hugged her with all his might. Before they ran again. And then, at the end of that adventure, he merely dropped her off, Susan having to get home to David and the kids.

"The Death Zone was a tricky one. I liked your coat though." He praised, and Susan smiled.

"Wish I could say the same for your celery. Gosh, it must be so weird." She mused, leaning back. The Doctor's brow furrowed.

"What?"

"Well, seeing your past selves, and having them react to you." Susan told him. "I mean, say I met my first face- the one with the penchant for stripy tops- how do you think she'd react to me?" She asked him, genuinely curious. The Doctor answered straight away and with a smirk.

"Probably thinking what a wonderful woman she'll regenerate into." Susan gave him a whack on the arm.

"Honestly!" She scolded, but grinned anyhow. He was such a dork in this regeneration. But he grinned that sweet smile of his, and laughed, and soon she was laughing as well, at the absurdity of past regenerations and perhaps the absurdity that may befall her future ones. Not that she wanted _that _any time soon. And she never wanted him to either, she realised now.

Then, the TARDIS let out a hum, the old engines heaving as if the old girl was now desperate to once again send her Doctor and his strays out of the door. Susan looked up at the noise and the Doctor clapped his knees before jumping up from his chair. Susan did the same, shooting her grandfather a questioning look.

"I set the TARDIS for the Eye of Orion- thought we needed a break from all the running around and stuff." He reasoned, starting to move out of the library as he talked and towards the console room, Susan by his side. "Plus…there is something I want you to see."

They made it to the console without a hitch or a wayward misstep, the console giving out a nosie of approval at their reaffirmed bond. The Doctor moved to the console, pressing a button and pulling at a crank, when the Ponds came in from the top stair, leaning against the railings.

"How's it going, Gramps?" Amy asked him, assessing the situation. The Doctor didn't look up as he set the TARDIS to land but he clicked his fingers and pointed up at the ginger.

"Don't call me that." He stated, and Amy laughed, glad to see he was doing all right. The Ponds both came down and walked round the console.

"So, where are we going?" Rory asked.

"Eye of Orion." Susan answered.

"And where exactly is that?" He asked, always hating the fact that Time Lords were never _clear_. Could they just not explain properly or did they just expect everyone to know it already? The Doctor pulled a lever and span round, as the TARDIS made a clunk upon landing.

"The Eye of Orion was known to be one of the most tranquil places in the universe. Plenty of positive ions to relax you. I thought we could have a picnic." He said with a gleeful look.

"With what?" Susan asked in disbelief. He wouldn't. But he turned around, walked down a couple of steps to near the blanket box, opened a cupboard, and took out a picnic basket. Susan shook her head in disbelief, Rory rolled his eyes with a smile and Amy let out a giggle.

"A picnic?" The redhead questioned, and the Doctor did his best to look offended.

"Yeah!" He hopped up back to the console. "What's wrong with a picnic? Not used this thing in ages! I have a bottle of wine I got from Napoleon once. I say that- it was thrown."

Susan moved to kiss him on the cheek as Amy and Rory exchanged a knowing glance, but they said nothing. "A picnic is fine."

"But, maybe hold the wine? Not feeling that well." Amy said, lightly touching her stomach. The Doctor nodded, giving nothing away as Susan got impatient and went over to the doors. Opening them, she stepped out, followed by Rory, Amy and then the Doctor, with his full picnic basket, waving on his arm.

It was remarkably like Earth, as planets often are, but there was a distinct alien feel to it, again, as there often is. It was rolling fields and bare trees with a silver-y grey sky that was either it's natural colour or merely a blanket of cloud. Susan could not tell.

"Wow." Rory whistled, linking his hands with his wife as she looked at him excitedly, then to the Doctor.

"So, Doctor…" She raised her eyebrows. "Picnic."

The Doctor gave a laugh, throwing an arm round Susan's shoulders and waving the wicket basket. "Picnic!" Susan chuckled and the four wandered down a path that headed to a cliff, and together they set the picnic up, right on the edge to get the best of views.

"It's like after a thunderstorm." Susan told them, as they all sat down as she gazed out across the desolate plain. She remembered reading somewhere about the Eye of Orion.

"It's freezing!" Amy complained, crossing her arms over a striped jumper.

"No natives, no tourists. Just a barren planet in the Andromeda." Susan told her. "And yeah, pretty chilly." She joked, giving a smile.

"Not always." The Doctor replied, and she turned to look at her grandfather, pouring out hot chocolate from a thermos into glasses.

"What was it like then?" Amy asked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

"It was always like this." He gestured to the climate. "But there used to be tourists. Why wouldn't there? Perfect spot for any notable Time Traveller to rest." He nodded, and then continued as he raised an arm, pointing to an old ruin of metal and rock near the horizon. "Over there."

"What is that?" Rory squinted, as did the rest of them, looking at the broken place.

"It was a holiday resort. Sort of. Now it's quiet." He mused, taking a swing of his drink himself, straight from the thermos, then he coughed and spluttered and the moment was over. Susan goggled and took a sandwich; ham. Taking a bite, she sighed and looked around. So calm, and a nice change from running. She felt like she hadn't stopped running in oh so long.

They ate for the best part of 15 minutes in a comfortable silence, each unwinding and relaxing, with help from the positive ions of course, just…reflecting. Reflecting on the past few days and the turmoil with each.

Rory reflected on technically dying…again, before being brought back by his amazing wife. Amelia Pond, who was a vision in his eyes. He couldn't still believe he was married to her. She had thought she had been pregnant. Perhaps they would, he wanted to of course, one day. Children. The thought made him smile.

Amelia Pond meanwhile was thinking, rather about the whole mess they were in. Not that the Doctor knew. No, he hadn't seen himself die, didn't know he was dying. She looked over at him, as he was now happily polishing off his third jam sandwich. He was such a kid in his food choices. She looked over to Susan next, who was stretched out on the picnic blanket, leaning on a hand that propped her up as she took a bunch of grapes from the hamper. Where was Susan? That's what puzzled Amy. After Utah…what was going to be left after that? And why had Susan not been at the Lake?

Susan was merely thinking of the peace she felt and the enormous sense of family she got with the Ponds and her grandfather. The past few adventures had been hard; very hard but…she felt at peace. That was a good thing because she didn't want to leave. Not now, she couldn't.

The Doctor, as he wiped his mouth of jam, looked at his granddaughter. There was a place here he wanted to take her. He'd have another sandwich and take her. As he looked at Susan, he saw something he hadn't noticed before. It was funny, how he never noticed the small things till they were still, till they took a break. Most of his life was running. Always running, endless running. But now and then, you had to pause, to build back up that strength. It had been all go since seeing Susan again. But now, now was the time to pause and reflect. And pause he did, looking at her.

They say, sometimes, well…his companions did, and that sometimes he looked his age. Especially in the youthful years- in the most recent centuries that there were moments or flickers where he would look all his years in his eyes.

The same could be said of all the Timelords. This included Susan. For the first time, he knew what Martha, and Donna and Amy and Rory and Sarah Jane all meant. You look an age in your eyes.

He sighed, and plastered on a forlorn smile, getting up. The three looked round at him, partially startled by the movement.

"I want to show Susan something." He said to them all, facing Susan, who got up with a curious look. Amy raised an eyebrow.

"What, not good enough for your Timelord tour now are we?" She joked and the Doctor fumbled ever so slightly under the watchful eyes of Pond.

"Er…no, not exactly." He paused, then grabbed Susan's arm and swung a leg in the direction of a smaller, less travelled path. "Come along, Susan."

Susan shot a look back at the Ponds, raising her eyebrows in amusement and was tugged along by the Doctor, waving goodbye as Rory grabbed a Jammie Dodger.

The Doctor and Susan walked along, the cool air whistling around them as the Doctor led her through a thin wood, ambling across grass that looked grey in the calming light. They reached a meadow and the Doctor glanced at Susan, as though the meadow was very, very important somehow. Susan frowned and moved forwards, and a stone caught her eye. It was around one and a half metres, blank and polished. She walked closer to it, the Doctor trailing behind, hands clasped together.

"It's a memorial." He uttered, and Susan looked round.

"But there are no names." She told him.

"Too many for one stone." He gave a small smile at that, and walked forwards to her side, grasping her hand and then Susan understood. A shrine of sorts to the Time War. That was why the holiday resort had closed. This whole planet…was a place to remember.

The Doctor and Susan stood there, hands clasped tight as they looked at the memorial stone. No tears were shed. Just an understanding. After how long, they both didn't know, Susan gave a squeeze of his hand and a thankful smile. With no words, they turned back, and went to the Ponds again.

* * *

**Now, reviews: **

**DanniFielding: I'm glad you think it is realistic. That was actually my main concern, I didn't want the feud to last but it didn't want to go completely and if they ever get into another argument, it's sure to come up probably. Susan won't forget but she understands now.**

**Cooperdragon2: Yay! They did! And I may do some oneshots, some unpublished drafts. I had like a million from their 'Time War Talk' as it were.**

**Sage1988: I am so glad you are enjoying it. It means a lot that you think it's a good story! And as for more...ta da!**

**A little shorter than the last coupe, but more of a breather. The idea for the Eye is not only from last episode of course, but the memorial was mentioned by Martha Jones' blog that accompanied her series and I though it'd be fitting to add it in!**

**I would love a review!**

**Heather x**


	18. Chapter 18

**Miracles Out Of Nowhere**

**Chapter 18**

"Wait you met Vincent Van Gogh without me?" Susan was laughing. They were still at the Eye of Orion, the two humans not asking where Susan and the Doctor had been- something about the expressions on their faces told them to butt out. But now they were all cross legged on the picnic blanket, listening to Amelia's retelling of her meeting of the great British Prime Minister.

"And me." Rory smiled, holding up a hand.

"Oi, you were dead!" Amy piped up with a smile.

"True." He conceded- the matter was a lot easier to deal with when joking about it.

"So, come on, tell us more." Susan encouraged, taking a sip of the still warm hot chocolate.

"Well, Vincent was the only one who could see this alien. It was a Cra- Krey-"

"Krafayis." The Doctor interjected. Amy nodded.

"Right, Krafayis- that was it. So it had gotten into the church and turns out it was blind. That's why it was left behind and was killing 'em but not eating." She pointed out.

"Well that's a little depressing." Susan remarked and the Doctor snorted into his cup.

"Yeah, right." Amy blanched a little. "That probably won't what happened next any better."

"Why what happened?" Rory asked her.

"It died." Amy looked down, her red hair falling forwards to hide her face. The Doctor noticed and put down his cup, continuing the story.

"It was an accident." He said softly, remembering the creature. "It was blind, and we didn't know, not till it was too late. Vincent…well." He left the sentence unfinished but then brightened. "Pond, tell them what happened next." Amy seemed to brighten up at this as well.

"We took him to the Musee d'Orsee." She said excitedly. "To see his paintings."

"Woah." Rory said, listening to his wife with a grin of his own on his face.

Susan choked. "You didn't! Grandfather, I can see how nice that would have been but you always said not to change the timelines!" The Doctor looked a little embarrassed but Susan shook her head and smiled. "I expect he valued it very much."

"He did." Amy said with a small smile, remembering her friend and that emotional moment in the great Vincent Van Gogh's life.

"Right! That's enough stories. Who wants to get back on the road? Because frankly, my back is starting to give way. I'm an old man, you know." The Doctor quipped, bounding to his feet.

"Yeah, you're ancient." Susan giggled right back at him. The rest of them got up and began to pack up, chatting contentedly as they walked back to the TARDIS, the doors snapping shut behind them.

And this continued. For months they travelled happily, the odd near death experience added in. They defeated empires, saved cities, travelled to the corners of galaxies with no problems. Susan was happier than she had been in a long time, growing closer to the Ponds and back in sync with her grandfather. They had visited Axon 5 where they faced a manic anderoid, they'd gone to the fields of Kansas 2001 and defeated giant insects, been to the birth of Earth and had a cup of tea. They'd seen the moon pull into orbit over bowls of spaghetti that the Doctor had made from scratch. So many things.

At the moment, they were in the library, a welcome comfort after a hard day of running on a desert planet that had had a little problem with Cybermen. Susan and the Doctor had their respective chairs and Amy and Rory were on the sofa; Amy's head in Rory's lap who played with her red hair as she read about Romans, Rory correcting her when she spoke something wrong. The Doctor was concentrating on a book, plain with no title, his brow furrowing as Susan looked up over her Treasure Island.

"What are you reading?" She asked him and he looked up, almost startled- he was in his own world.

"Oh, nothing." He commented, shutting the book with a smile.

"You sure?" Susan said, shutting her own and uncrossing her legs.

"Yeah." He nodded. He knew she would not care for it, besides; it was just a hunch, the old papers dedicated to the warnings on Flesh production. He gave a glance over to the Ponds, so happy. But Susan caught the look. She'd been worried about Amy herself- little tell tales to say something was not right with the Scottish woman. Susan bit her lip.

"Grandfather…can I talk to you outside?" She asked him in a low voice. The Doctor got up, nodding and went out into the corridor and Susan followed him wordlessly, grabbing the book he'd been reading unbeknownst to him before exiting the library, where she leant against the wall. "Tell me what's wrong with Amy."

"What?" He let out before he could stop himself. The Doctor looked back into the library, then Susan and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's nothing."

"Nothing? Doctor, I'm not stupid. Humans may not notice but we do. She's been…feeling sick, back pain, cravings. Any other person I'd say it was…" She didn't say the word. "But it's been months and nothing, so it can't be. Look, I just want to make sure it's alright, and that you're handling it."

"I am." He nodded, not wanting to tell her. Well, he wanted to tell her but there was nothing she could do about it, he didn't want her to worry. Susan lifted the book to her eyes and opened it. The Doctor closed his eyes slowly, before reopening them as Susan read.

"This is Flesh." She looked up, aghast. He couldn't be thinking that. Except it was a logical assumption. The symptoms bleeding through reality but her body untouched; showing no signs of it. "You think she's-"

"I don't know. But back before we found you…she said she was pregnant. All these months I've been running scans and it shows nothing." He looked tired, and Susan remembered the many times she'd take a trudge to the kitchen for hot chocolate in the middle of the night, to see him typing away at the console, muttering to himself. He was worried. Susa nodded, placing a consoling hand on his arm.

"Okay. Thanks for telling me though. We'll sort it." She told him, and he visibly relaxed, glad to have told someone instead of bottling it up. He didn't know how he'd tell Rory, that's if he was right, which he prayed he wasn't. Susan smiled. "Okay? If you get a lead…tell me."

"I will." He nodded, wondering if he would. Susan clicked her tongue, and handed his book back to him, walking past him before turning her head back as he went back into the library.

"Now, I spotted ice cream in the freezer." She mused, rather loudly so he would hear, with a smile, knowing _exactly _what he was going to say next.

"Bring me back a bowl!" The Doctor poked his head around the door to grin excitedly at her, eyes alight like a child. Susan gave a thumbs up.

"Will do, Grandfather."

A few weeks later, Susan walked into the TARDIS main console room to Muse's 'Super Massive Black Hole', as told to her by Amy the fourteenth time the song had been played the past month. She saw her grandfather at the console screen, checking something out but he was blocking it, Rory and Amy were at the dartboard. She went down the stairs, past a dubious Ben and Jerry's carton and sat down on the chair, looking over at the two Ponds with smiles.

Rory aimed, and then threw the two darts onto the board. His wife turned to face him from the scoreboard.

"Forty six. Rubbishy, rubbishy, rubbish." She said with a devilish voice, readying her own darts. Rory scoffed.

"Hello? It's a double top." He pointed out, moving over to the dartboard.

"Wrong side of the wire, mister." Amy smiled and got her darts, moving over to aim herself as Rory took down his own.

"You're on the oche, Red."

"Go get him, Amy." Susan smirked, and Amy looked back, noticing Susan and sending her a wink. Susan got up with a sigh and moved over to the Doctor.

"How's it going?" She whispered, knowing now he was looking at Amy's pregnancy scan. It still wasn't deciding. Susan herself had looked it over, assessing and reassessing it countless times when she couldn't sleep. "Don't get obsessed. That won't do any good." She told him.

The Doctor said nothing, merely giving her a small smile, before flicking a switch, turning both the music off and the screen to its regular display.

"Who wants fish and chips?" He asked the room, Rory turned and instantly raised his arm. Susan did as well. She was hungry, and she did like chips. The Doctor moved around the console as Susan lent against one side of it, watching with her eyes.

"I'll drop you all off." He was saying, and he walked backwards, still facing the Ponds and pointing to them. "Take your time. Don't rush." Susan knew what he was doing, knew he wasn't going to join them, she could tell. He was by her side once again as Rory piped up

"Er, and you?"

"Things to do. Things involving other things." He replied, with a furtive look at the now scan-free monitor, Susan took his hand and squeezed before letting it drop, a silent reassurance that she was here.

"Well, we'll stay with you. We'll do the other things." Amy told him, stepping up to the main glass dais around the console.

"Nope." The Doctor answered promptly. Susan frowned.

"And me? Am I getting fish and chips."

"Yes!" He spoke as though she'd made the most brilliant deduction of the day.

"Whatever you're up to, I'd personally like to be a part of it." Amy told him, and the Doctor just stared at her, open mouthed. He wanted to tell her that it was all about her but he couldn't. "What?"

Susan looked at the Doctor, worried but then suddenly, a klaxon blared and the TARDIS threw them around. Susan grabbed onto the console with a yell, as did the Doctor. Rory collided with the outside railings with a shout of his own and Amy went backwards with a scream. Susan managed to grip onto the console, pulling herself around it to the screen. She held onto the bar underneath it, swinging about as her feet skidded.

"Solar tsunami. Came directly from the Earth's sun." She shouted at her grandfather, who was thankfully a little defter on his feet and was managing to hit levers and buttons in an attempt to stabilise and continue to fly the old box.

"A tidal wave of radiation. Big, big, big." He gestured with his hands as the TARDIS gave another lurch. He pulled down a lever with a click as Amy let out another scream as the TARDIS rocked around.

"Oh Doctor, my tummy's going funny." Rory cried, looking sick as he held onto the railing.

"Well, the gyrator disconnected. Target tracking is out." He was panicking, moving to Susan side, trying to get a look at the screen she was holding onto for dear life before returning back to a panel of the console, pressing buttons. Amy had made her way back at the TARDIS leaned one way, causing Amy and the Doctor to slip backwards, Susan forwards and they all groaned, trying to keep hold as the Doctor heaved another lever, flipping it over and giving the ship some sort of stability once more. But it wasn't over. The Doctor let go and put his hands up.

"Assume the position!" He yelled at the three. Amy moved first, with another scream she ran over to the chair, diving into it. Rory looked confused, spinning around before deciding to drop to the floor, as did the Doctor. Susan let go of the handlebar under the screen and dove onto the glass floor, her head between her knees as the TARDIS gave one final lurch; eliciting a scream from Susan and then the TARDIS went still, the Doctor jumping to his feet.

The rest of the crew all groaned, sitting up and staring at the Doctor who shrugged. "Textbook landing."

Susan got up as Amy went over to help Rory. She smirked at her grandfather. "Textbook landing? Really?"

"Well, depends on the textbook." His face falls into one of a kicked puppy and she elbows him and he perks up with a grin. "Still, we should probably go and see where we are!" He races towards the door first, so that they can't see the fallen look on his face, as he knows where they probably are. "Behold!" He opens the door. "A cockerel! Love a cockerel."

It was a monastery. Old and large. As the Doctor had pointed out, a brass cockerel was waving from the top in the wind, an orange sun behind it lighting up the sky. Susan stepped out after the Doctor, squinting and looking around. Then Rory, then Amy, who shut the door. The Doctor turned to them all. "And underneath, a monastery."

"Thirteenth century." Susan said, looking upwards at the building. Amy followed her line of sight as the Doctor nodded in agreement to Susan's suggestion.

"Oh, we've gone all mediaeval." Amy remarked.  
"I'm not sure about that." Rory said, looking around as the wind whistled through their hair. Luckily, Amy's was clipped back and Susan's in a ponytail.

"Actually, neither am I." Susan muttered, listening intently.

"Really? Mediaeval expert are you?" Amy asked them both. Rory was quick to defend himself.

"No, it's just that I can hear DustySpringfield." Indeed, Rory was right. Dusty's You Don't Have to Say You Love Me was playing from the monastery. The Doctor walked off, the others following suit to a small fissure in the ground. Susan bent down and inspected it as the Doctor picked up stray handfuls of dirt. It had a pipe running through the gap and Susan made out the words.

"These fissures are new. Solar tsunami sent out a huge wave of gamma particles. This is caused by a magnetic quake that occurs just before the wave hits." The Doctor explained to them.

"Well, the monastery's standing." Susan remarked, looking up back up at it. She turned her gaze back to the Doctor in time to see him pull out a small snow globe and shaking it.

"Yeah, for now." He said, a tad grim as he inspected the fake snow falling to te bottom of the orb.

"What does that do?" Susan asked quietly.

"Stuff." Her Grandfather replied before Rory spoke.

"Doctor, look." He pointed at the pipe, and they all looked at the DANGER- CORROSIVE in block capitals that was surely a good sign.

"Yeah. It's a supply pipe. Ceramic inner lining. Something corrosive. They're pumping something nasty off this island to the mainland." The Doctor murmured, looking at the sonic readings on his screwdriver.

"Acid?" Susan asked next to him.

"Probably."

"Yikes." Susan said with a low whistle. The Doctor raised his eyebrows with a smile.  
"My mum's a massive fan of Dusty Springfield." Rory interjected and Susan turned to give him a one armed hug.

"So am I." She said, remembering the songs she listened to in the 1960s. Dusty had been a favourite. Susan had never quite liked the Beatles however.

"Who isn't?" The Doctor said, then sprang into action, whipping around and heading straight for the stairs that led into the monastery. They ran after him. "Right, let's go. Satisfy our rabid curiosity."

They walked into the courtyard. It really was massive. Huge towers and separate buildings that made it an impressive sight to behold. Seagulls cawed and flew overhead between the stone structures. It had defineitley seen better days. They went through a large wooden gate, the doors already open for them.

"So where are these Dusty Springfield loving monks, then?" Amy asked, but the Doctor was busy, scanning every which way of the old stone compound. Susan walked next to him, keeping with his pace. He had that look on his face. A look that meant trouble. Or that he was troubled. Or both.

"I think we're here. This is it." He said, as they came closer to another archway, another set of wooden stairs.  
"Doctor, what are you talking about? We've never been here before." Rory said, confused.

"Grandfather?" Susan asked, knowing something was up. He wasn't telling her something, _again._ But he wasn't focusing.

"Hmm?" He flicked the sonic off.

"We came here by accident." Amy told him, as they reached the top of the steps and the Doctor turned to all three, making them stop.

"Accident?" The Doctor spoke as if they were five and really stupid. Then he seemed to change his mind, but not enough to convince them. "Yes, I know. Accident." But their attention on the Doctor's enigmatic mood was diverted as Rory had lent a pipe, and cried out in pain, clutching his hand and looking at the sure burn. "Acid. They're pumping acid off this island. That's old stuff. Fresh acid, you wouldn't have a finger."

He walked off. Then the tannoy blared. _Intruder alert. Intruder alert. _The Doctor was back as quick as a flash and looking rather sheepish. "There are people coming. Well, almost." He told them.

"Almost coming?" Amy asked.

"Almost people." He replied, and Susan felt something click in her mind. Oh, that idiot. She told him if he had a lead. She was going to kill him. Dunk him in acid or something. See him regenerate in that stuff. He had wanted her to go and have chips! Instead of helping. She gave him a look that told him so and he had the decency to avert his gaze as he ran off, Susan and Amy running after him, but Amy went back as Rory was reluctant to run towards those who may want to hurt them.

Susan caught up to the Doctor and grabbed his arm but they kept walking fast.

"You said you'd tell me." She told him, quietly so when the Ponds did catch up, they would ot be overheard.

"Yeah, and I thought about it." He said right back.

"And?" She raised her eyebrows, wondering what magical excuse he had.

"Decided against it."

"What on earth for?" She asked him, fiercely.

"Thought you wanted chips."

"I also want to help Amy and help _you_!"

"Yeah, and now you are, happy? Just don't tell Amy or Rory."

"I'm a Timelord, that doesn't make me stupid." Susan told him, forgiving him and looking back as the Doctor gave a laugh at the joke as the Ponds caught up. "Coming, Ponds?"

"Yeah." Rory called back, a little reluctant still as they headed through a door, and into the monastery.

* * *

**Reviews:**

**Not much to say this week! As always, a massive thank you to DanniFielding- don't worry I only knew about the blog from the TARDIS wikia page on the Eye of Orion, so don't beat yourself up about it ;)**

**And I hope that the Guest that reviewed has had a nice rest now before the action of the Rebel Flesh gets underway!**

**I've started a new fic this week; 'Is This How Time Normally Passes' so I'd love if you checked that out, maybe leave a comment or two? Speaking off, I would love to get my reviews up to 50? Maybe that is too much BUT big news: I have 44 followers which is amazing so come on! 5 reviews? If you can, I'd love it, if not, it's fine! **

**Heather**

**x **

**See you next week!**


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